Rare bird given a helping hand in the Fens and they have returned to the Ouse Washes at Manea
The success of a project to help increase the population of a rare wading bird in Fenland is the subject of a specialist paper.
The paper recently published in Animal Conservation reveals how conservationists have increased the breeding population of the Black-tailed Godwit, by hand-rearing chicks and releasing them back into the wild on the RSPB’s Ouse Washes, at Welches Dam, Manea, when they are big enough to fend for themselves and are less vulnerable to the various threats they face before they can fly.
The ‘headstarting’ scheme has seen the number of wild breeding pairs in the trial area increase fivefold, from three pairs in 2017 to 16 pairs in 2022.
Critically, these headstarted individuals have comparable breeding success to their wild-reared counterparts which is necessary to ensuring the success of the species.
Lynda Donaldson, senior conservation scientist with the RSPB and formerly of WWT said: “Headstarting like this can provide a much-needed boost to a small population that is under threat of becoming locally extinct.
“This buys time for longer-term interventions to be identified and take effect. Seeing some of the headstarted birds returning to the Ouse Washes in spring following migration to raise chicks of their own gives us real hope for the future of this species here in the UK.”
Black-tailed Godwits are on the UK’s red list of birds, meaning they are of greatest conservation concern, which is why projects like this, working across multiple organisations, are so important.
Will Costa, project manager & lead aviculturist at WWT said: “Project Godwit was a crucial stepping stone for Black-tailed Godwits in the UK, saving them from a second extinction on the Ouse Washes and supporting their recovery as a breeding species. It’s great to see the impact of this work confirmed with robust analysis.
“WWT has continued its headstarting work through the Natural England Species Recovery Programme Capital Grant Scheme (SRPCGS) funded Godwit Futures programme, as well as working with partners across the fens to help create and restore the wetland habitats they rely on.”
Jonathan Taylor, senior site manager for the RSPB’s Ouse Washes said: “For me personally, it is a terrible thought to lose such a beautiful wading bird from the wetlands I have helped to manage for the past 30 years. It is a testament to all involved that acting together to halt nature's decline in a proactive way not only benefits these rare birds but also the ecosystem they rely on and the society-wide benefits that derive from it.”
Project Godwit was a partnership between RSPB and WWT and was initiated to tackle the causes of decline, boost the Ouse Washes population, raise awareness of the importance of the UK’s wetlands for ground-nesting birds, and share information about methods to conserve threatened waders.
The project received major funding from the EU LIFE Nature Programme, The HSBC 150th Anniversary Fund, Natural England and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
