Curlew could vanish from Wales in under a decade

Drones have been scanning Welsh wetlands as researchers try to find curlew nests to save the upland wader from extinction. 

Thermal-imaging drones spot heat from nests hidden in deep grass and bogs. Locating breeding sites helps researchers understand the distribution and breeding success of remaining curlew. Experts warn that the Eurasian curlew could disappear from Wales as a “viable breeding species” by 2033 if a 6% annual decline continues. 

In 2022 Natural Resources Wales fitted 15 curlew with GPS tags, giving researchers a real-time view of their migration from across Europe to important breeding and wintering areas in Wales. 

Nick Palmer, the founder of wildlife management and predator control firm AgriPest, has been using the thermal drones for years to conduct surveys of ground-nesting birds. 

He told ST: “Thermal drones are revolutionising how we as wildlife management specialists track, locate and record a variety of wildlife species. Thermal drones can be used to identify the heat produced by the ground-nesting birds and their eggs from a safe distance, minimising disturbance to the wildlife below. 

“This information can then be utilised to preserve nesting sites using fencing or other protective measures.”