Echoes of a Vanishing Song by guest writer: Sarah Marles With the slender-billed curlew now officially declared extinct, the Eurasian curlew’s call across the Dee Estuary feels more precious – and more precarious – than ever. At low tide the Dee Estuary lies open; a vast, breathing sheet of slick mud and silt glazed in pewter […]
A Turning Point for Curlew Recovery: The UK Curlew Action Plan Launched in the House of Lords On Monday 19th January, the House of Lords became the setting for a pivotal moment in the unfolding story of one of Britain’s most iconic birds: the launch of the UK Curlew Action Plan. Hosted by Lord Randall of Uxbridge the event was
This year’s national Curlew round-up took us from the Angus Glens to Dartmoor, from the New Forest to Northern Ireland. The message was clear: where people, land managers and volunteers work together, Curlews can thrive, but overall, the threats remain stark and urgent. Here is a project-by-project summary of the results. Scotland – Angus &
Curlew Breeding Season 2025: A Round-Up from Across the UK Read More »
By Mary Colwell – AEWA MOP, 11 November 2025 On 10 October 2025 the Slender-billed Curlew was declared extinct by the IUCN. It still feels raw to say the deadening finality of that word, extinct. This delicate, long-billed wader, once a part of the wildlife community of Asia/Africa/Europe has gone. A life once woven
Interview with Matt Trevelyan — The Man Who Walked 53 Miles Dressed as a Curlew by Matt Lewis, RSPB When most people think of endurance challenges, they imagine marathons or mountain climbs, not hiking miles across the Yorkshire countryside in a towering, handmade curlew costume. But for Matt Trevelyan, Farming in Protected Landscapes Officer for
The Man Who Walked 53 Miles (Dressed as a Curlew) Read More »
Curlew chick (Photo by WWT) On November 13th, 2024, Curlew Action hosted a free webinar bringing together conservationists, researchers, and curlew advocates from over 15 European countries. Chaired by Mike Smart, former Curlew Action trustee and long-time champion of wader conservation, the event provided a sobering yet hopeful snapshot of the Eurasian Curlew’s breeding
A Continental Concern: 2024 European Curlew Breeding Season Update Read More »
Over 16s Winner The Last Slender-billed Curlew, by Emma Price When the last one cried With no other to hear Did she dissolve into nothingness Until just a voice remained, Echo on the wind, softly fading? Or did she wait a while Wondering why no answer came. Was she lonely? Resigned? Or did she continue,
Every year, we run competitions for World Curlew Day, and this year is no exception, with the return of our poetry, art, and baking competitions! Open to all ages and abilities, we love to receive entries from anyone who finds Curlews an inspiration to create. Winners of each competition will receive a Luke Western Curlew
In celebration of World Wetlands Day (2 February), David Gray and the Curlew Action team share their favourite UK wetlands: Holme Dunes National Nature Reserve, Norfolk Chosen by: David Gray, Patron of Curlew Action I’ve been a regular visitor to the North Norfolk Coast for the last 30 years, so if I had to pick
Founder and Director of Curlew Action Mary Colwell has been awarded the ZSL Silver Medal, for outstanding contributions to the understanding and appreciation of zoology. Professor Jim Smith FRS, President of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), says: Members of the Committee were unanimous in their decision that you are a richly deserving winner for
Sometimes it helps to set aside a day to shine a light on something important, and for a number of reasons I chose April 21st for World Curlew Day. It happens to be the birthday of my environmental hero, John Muir, who was born in 1838. It is the average first laying date for curlews
The aptly named Little Curlew (Numenius minutus), is the smallest of the Curlew species. Its long neck and upright posture give it an elegant appearance as it walks through the grasslands it inhabits on its slender blue-grey legs. Its upper body is speckled with buff, brown and black feathers, whilst its lower body has a
The Far-Eastern curlew, Numenius madagascariensis, is the largest migratory shorebird in the world. Its iconic curved bill is well known across the many countries that span the East Asian and Australasian Flyway. Its famous call is similar to that of the Eurasian curlew, but noticeably deeper in tone. Despite its status as a well-loved bird
In October 2022, we held a webinar on Curlews and Predators. The predation of Curlew eggs and chicks is one of the leading causes of the species’ decline. It is an emotive and complicated topic to discuss, but it is important these discussions are held so that we can get closer to the solution of
Mary Colwell is the Founder and Director of Curlew Action. She has worked tirelessly to raise awareness about the plight of the Curlew. For eleven years, she spearheaded the campaign for a GCSE in Natural History, which was confirmed earlier this year and will be in schools from September 2025. The team at Curlew Action
Anyone who has heard the call of the Curlew knows they are worth protecting in their own right, their evocative, eerie cry across a moor or a mudflat belongs to the soul of our wild places. To add to their significance as an iconic and much loved British bird, they are what is known as
Umbrella species: why saving curlew helps more than curlew Read More »
“A GCSE in Natural History is a unique opportunity for young people to engage with wildlife in a structured, guided way, to learn the skills of a naturalist at a time when we need them more than ever. I am so delighted it is, at last, a reality.” – Mary Colwell At a meeting of
A small charity’s mission to save Britain’s most precious bird. Globally, we’ve lost 50% of our wildlife, and Britain is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world. Our intensively managed islands are forcing nature to survive at the fringes of human development, and wildlife must adapt rapidly to changing landscapes. Over the
Written by Charlotte Varela. Illustration by Jessica Holm. From lapwings in Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights to the titular raven in Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven, birds have long acted as inspiration for literature. Some are used to evoke a sense of freedom and wildness while others are an ill-omen, foreshadowing tragedy. The curlew, however, has long evoked a
Written by Steph Smith. Please be gentle, this is my first “Blog” and I am completely out of my comfort zone!!!! My relationship with Curlews began early, through my dad. My dad, by his own admission was not the most academic of men, but he had taught me to skin a rabbit, catch and clean a
