Lapwing

The Levels is one of the few places left in Wales outside nature reserves where Lapwing breed, plus they over winter on the Estuary in large numbers with a peak count of 300 birds. Lapwing have seen a drastic decline in Wales (and the UK). In the early 1970s the population was estimated to be 15,000 breeding pairs. In 2015–19 the estimate of breeding pairs was 690–970 of which 265 pairs (27–38%) were on nature reserves, (Pritchard, R. et al, 2021).

In the spring, the males perform their tumbling display flight. They have a very distinctive wheezy ‘pee-wit’ call which is where their other name comes from.

They will nest on wet grassland or arable farmland, feeding on leatherjackets, earthworms and a variety of insects which they pick off the vegetation. They prefer a diverse sward with short grass and longer tussocks to provide cover from predators, wet features such as grips, shallow pools, and ditches where they forage.

Key management

Maintaining shallow wet and damp areas

The pattern of traditional field grips found on the Levels provide ideal feeding habitat as they remain damp in the summer and are shallow enough for the chicks to access.

Keeping an open sward

Grazing especially with cattle and cutting dense rush, helps to keep the vegetation open and short allowing the chicks to move about and pick insects off the vegetation.

Spring sown crops

Lapwing will nest in spring sown crops rather than autumn sown, as they find the latter too tall and dense at the start of the breeding season.

Organic rather than Inorganic

Organic fertiliser such as well rotted farmyard manure tends to increase the quality of the soil and increase earthworms. Whereas inorganic fertilisers tend to decrease invertebrate availability.

Mechanical Operations

Lapwing nests are vulnerable to any machinery being used in the fields while they are nesting, until the chicks hatch. Nests are lost by machinery driving over them. If the nest can be pinpointed and marked, then the tractor can avoid the nest until the eggs hatch.

Hedge and scrub removal

Clearance of scrub and parts of hedges to restore the ditches also helps ground nesting birds like lapwing as it removes perches for predators which makes it harder for them to spot nests and chicks. Lapwings suffer huge losses from crows and foxes, there has been success using electric fencing around nesting areas to deter foxes, but this does incur a cost.