CULL OF THE CURLEWS - MORE THAN 400 LICENCES GRANTED LAST YEAR BY NATURAL ENGLAND

                                           

Woe betide any curlew unfortunate enough to land on a cull-approved airfield

MORE than 400 licences were issued last year for the purpose of killing  curlews or destroying their nests.

Because they are rapidly decreasing in most of Europe, curlews are of red-listed conservation concern.

But that does not safeguard them if they venture to feed on airfields where culling is sometimes adopted as an alternative control method to scaring.

Along with raptors such as buzzards, raptors and geese, the birds have to be cleared because of the risk of collision with aircraft which could have tragic consequences.

However, most airport operators - for instance at Heathrow and Gatwick - seem to manage by using acoustic scarers without resorting to hired marksmen.   

A report  issued this week by Natural England reveals  a total of 438 licences to cull curlews were issued in 2021. 

The precise locations are not given, but the county breakdown is as follows:

* West Yorkshire: 16

* Suffolk: 32

* Norfolk:106 

* Lincolnshire:   226

* Cambridgeshire: 36

* Gloucestershire: 15 

* Greater Manchester: 7 

In the past (2014), there have also been cases  - particularly in Lincolnshire - where curlews have been lawfully shot or had their nests destroyed either "to preserve public health" or "to prevent serious damage either to livestock or foodstuffs for livestock".

The Wryneck says: Was it really necessary to kill these magnificent  birds and/or destroy their nests? This is a species in serious decline. Why did the airfields in these locations not follow the practice at corresponding sites in other parts of the country by simply scaring away the birds to eliminate aircraft collision risk? How rigorous has Natural England been in checking that slaughter was the only option? Has there been any change in policy or guidance for 2022? These are questions that need to be answered.