Concerning Decline Of Migratory Shorebird Species Highlights Vital Need To Protect UK Shorelines

Scientists reviewing the conservation status of the world’s bird populations have confirmed that four UK shorebird species have seen significant declines in numbers. As a result, these species have moved to higher threat categories on the global IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Most of these species journey to the UK in winter from colder climes, making use of the shoreline and estuaries to rest and feed on nutrient-rich food ahead of their migration back to their northern breeding grounds in spring.

The latest IUCN Red List update for birds globally, by Birdlife International, shows that the following UK shorebird species that have moved to higher threat categories:

Grey Plovers spend the winter mainly on estuaries and have declined by more than 30% globally since the late 1990s. Their conservation status has moved two categories from ‘Least Concern’ to ‘Vulnerable’.
Dunlins also spend the winter mainly on estuaries and have declined by at least 20% globally since the early 2000s, resulting in them being moved one category from ‘Least Concern’ to ‘Near Threatened’.
Turnstones can be found in more countries worldwide than almost any other bird species and mainly spend the winter on more rocky coastlines. They have declined by at least 20% globally since the mid-2000s and have moved one category from ‘Least Concern’ to ‘Near Threatened’.
Curlew Sandpipers are a scarce species that passes through the UK on their autumn migration between its wintering areas further south and its Arctic breeding grounds. They have declined by more than 30% globally since the late 2000s and have moved one category from ‘Near Threatened’ to ‘Vulnerable’.

International collaboration vital to protect migratory bird populations

The latest IUCN Red List update for birds has revealed a highly concerning downwards trend in migratory shorebird numbers globally, with 16 species moved to higher threat categories. These shorebirds are just some of the 145 bird species whose global extinction risk category has changed in the 2024 update.

Following migration routes called flyways, migratory birds require multiple interconnected sites to rest and feed, making them especially at risk from threats such as habitat loss due to rising sea levels and climate change.

Many of these shorebirds are still commonly encountered along their flyways. However, new analyses of data from long-term monitoring schemes reveal that the global populations of some species have declined by more than a third in recent decades. In some cases, the rate of decline is accelerating, underlining the urgent need for research to better understand the root issues causing the declines, and conservation action to address them.

As the Convention on Biological Diversity COP16 draws to a close, governments must not miss this vital opportunity to take urgent action to reverse habitat loss, protect species and preserve the ecosystems upon which all wildlife and people depend. International declines in migratory shorebirds highlight the significant challenges facing nature worldwide, as well as the critical need to collaborate beyond borders and to ensure that countries take action to safeguard the habitats found along the migration routes that these threatened birds take.

Dr Guy Anderson, the RSPB’s migratory birds programme manager, said:
“Migratory bird populations know no borders and are a key indicator of the health of the planet. With the return of many migratory bird species to our shores heralded each year, it’s extremely concerning to see these declines.

"The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework agreed two years ago created a chance to reverse nature’s decline, but now we really need to turn these promises into urgent action. The UK Government must commit to urgently publish detailed, ambitious action plans outlining how the UK will contribute to global efforts to save our natural world. Time is running out, but we still have an opportunity to take a leading role in protecting nature and the wild spaces we all rely on.”

Martin Harper, CEO of BirdLife International, adds:
‘‘COP16 must be the catalyst for governments to back up commitments made two years ago with meaningful action to reverse the catastrophic declines in species populations. This means action to transform our food, energy and industrial systems, backed up by the necessary funding. The decline of migratory birds is a symbol of how we are currently failing. We need international collaboration to conserve these species and their habitats and safeguard the livelihoods of the millions of people who depend on them for their survival.’’


Lancashire shorelines a lifeline for migratory birds

The Red List update shines a light on the UK’s shorelines, and in particular its estuaries, and their global importance for migratory birds. Here in Lancashire the Ribble Estuary and Morecambe Bay is a vital home for winter waterbirds.

Every autumn, hundreds of thousands of threatened wading birds and waterfowl embark on epic journeys across land and sea to reach Morecambe Bay and the Ribble Estuary and spend their winters here.

Pink-footed Geese leave their homes in Iceland and Greenland and travel over 3,000 miles to our mudflats; Godwits also make the journey here from Iceland; Dunlins head to us from Eastern Europe and Russia and Wigeon come from Northern Europe to the Ribble Estuary and Morecambe Bay.

The draw to Morecambe Bay and the Ribble Estuary is its glorious mud, which is jam-packed with nutrients, vital for sustaining the life of many birds, fish, mammals, and other wildlife, especially during the hard winter months. It is bursting with microscopic worms, thousands of snails, and hundreds of shellfish.

For many migratory birds including Dunlin, Turnstone and Grey Plover, the UK’s estuaries are a vital lifeline as part of the connected network of coastal habitats along the bird “superhighway”, known as the East Atlantic Flyway. Millions of birds travel back and forth every year along the flyway, with the rich diversity of shore habitats providing essential nutrients and a place to refuel.

Whilst the Ribble Estuary and Morecambe Bay are protected by the special designations, Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), RAMSAR and also has Special Protection Area (SPA) status, like all UK estuaries they are under threat. Our estuaries face a myriad of challenges including pollution, development, and climate change, with sea level rise causing increased erosion and a heightened risk of coastal flooding, forcing wildlife into smaller and smaller spaces.

Lancashire coastal areas are not only vital for wildlife, but also provide food, jobs, and flood protection. Rising sea levels also threaten nearby communities and businesses, with some current coastal defences struggling to cope with increasing sea levels. Thankfully, estuaries can play an integral part in helping to tackle climate change, locking away large quantities of carbon while also acting as a natural defence against flooding.

Milo Sumner, England Coastal Programmes Manager, said:
“The irony is that the estuaries and other coastal areas that these birds, and our coastal communities, rely on are not only vital for wildlife, they can also help fight the climate crisis - if we look after them. But globally, they are being degraded or destroyed globally at four times the rate of tropical forests***. It is crucial that we protect our UK shorelines if we are to tackle the nature and climate crisis.”

Around the UK, the RSPB works hard to protect estuaries and make them the best that they can be for wildlife. Here in Lancashire the RSPB does this by protecting the wider landscape around estuaries, including looking after habitats at Marshside and Hesketh out Marsh which can also act as natural flood defences. Where possible and beneficial to wildlife, the RSPB also enhances wetland landscapes. And critically, it helps to raise awareness of how visitors to these habitats can help safeguard the health of these birds. By giving the birds that make our estuaries their winter homes plenty of space to rest and feed and reducing the level of disturbance they face, we can give them the best chance of survival over the winter months.

Milo continued:
“Thankfully, we can all play our part in supporting our very tired and very hungry shorebirds after their arrival this winter, and the best way to do this is by not disturbing them. If we disturb these birds, they will be scared into taking flight, which wastes all the energy they are so desperately trying to build up from feeding. We ask people to keep to public paths, avoid getting too close to large groups of feeding or resting birds, and to please keep dogs on leads during this vulnerable season. If we work together our winter birds can get the nourishment and rest time they so urgently need while we are lucky enough to have them here in the UK."