A stunning new image of one of the United Kingdom's rarest birds is shining a spotlight on conservation efforts that could help secure its future, according to the Thurrock Gazette.
In the image, photographer Iain James captured a Eurasian curlew at Fingringhoe Wick, a 200-acre nature reserve on the River Colne in southeast England.
In doing so, James provided a rare glimpse into a species in decline.
The curlew is Europe's largest wading bird, and it's on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's red list of endangered species. Its population has dropped 65% since 1970, according to the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust.
With the nation home to more than a quarter of the world's breeding curlews, every sighting underscores the crucial role of U.K.-based conservation work in the species' global survival. The species' decline stemmed from habitat loss, according to WWT.
The curlew's well-known "bubbling" call used to echo "across British moorlands and coastlines," but it has become rare as grasslands have been converted and food sources — such as worms and insects — have diminished.
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In the 20 years leading up to 2016, curlew populations fell by more than 50% in England and Scotland, 80% in Wales, and 90% in Ireland. Today, only about 500 breeding pairs remain in lowland southern England, with many colonies being close to local extinction, according to the Curlew Recovery Partnership.
That's why reserves like Fingringhoe Wick are so important.
The estuary's mudflats and wetlands help to provide natural feeding and nesting areas for numerous species of birds, including the curlew.
While some U.K.-breeding curlews head to Ireland and France in the winter, the U.K.'s and Ireland's coastlines also receive large numbers of curlews from Scandinavia and continental Europe, making the British Isles a significant winter refuge during milder months.
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Definitely 👍 Conservation successes elsewhere have shown what's possible when awareness leads to action.
Whether it's creative local projects that helped bring critically endangered species back from the brink or breakthroughs like the rediscoveries and first photographs of rare birds, it's clear that moments like this can inspire conservation momentum on a larger scale.
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