BTO - Breeding Birds of the Wider Countryside: Lapwing

LAPWING
Vanellus vanellus

Lapwing © Mike Weston

Conservation listings

Europe: SPEC category 2 (vulnerable)
UK: amber (25-50% population decline, >20% European wintering population)

Long-term trend

UK: moderate decline

Distribution maps

Maps and statistics from British and Irish
atlases can be viewed here.

Status summary

The amber listing of this species is now based on UK decline, as well as the original criterion of international importance. CBC recorded some increase in its early years, and on WBS plots increase continued until the mid 1980s. Lapwings declined rapidly on lowland farmland through the 1980s, however, probably because changes in agricultural practice reduced their productivity (Hudson et al. 1994, Siriwardena et al. 2000). Adult and first-year survival rates show no trend through time (Peach et al. 1994, Catchpole et al. 1999), but the nest record data show an increase in failure rates at the egg stage (29 days, comprising 26 days incubation and 3 days laying). Increases have occurred in nest destruction by livestock and in nest predation, perhaps associated with habitat change, and may be implicated in population decline (Chamberlain & Crick 2003). National surveys in England and Wales showed a 49% population decline between 1987 and 1998, steepest on grassland areas of Wales and southeast England (Wilson et al. 2001; for more information, click here). Population declines in excess of 50% over 15 years in Northern Ireland (Henderson et al. 2002) match the results for England and Wales. BBS data indicate little change in England since 1994, but a steep decline in Scotland, and a shallow decline in the UK as a whole. Following widespread decline across Europe, this previously 'secure' species is now evaluated as 'vulnerable'.

Table of population changes for Lapwing

Source	Period (yrs)	Years	Plots (n)	Change (%)	Lower limit	Upper limit	Alert	Comment
CBC/BBS UK	35	1967-2002	173	-31	-62	4
	25	1977-2002	219	-51	-63	-37	>50
	10	1992-2002	460	-8	-22	7
	5	1997-2002	577	-5	-13	2
CBC/BBS England	35	1967-2002	141	-13	-55	34
	25	1977-2002	178	-45	-63	-31	>25
	10	1992-2002	371	8	-11	27
	5	1997-2002	468	10	0	19
WBS waterways	22	1980-2002	39	6	-45	76
	10	1992-2002	39	-5	-24	20
	5	1997-2002	36	1	-17	26
BBS UK	9	1994-2003	542	-13	-20	-6
BBS England	9	1994-2003	436	16	5	27
BBS Scotland	9	1994-2003	84	-42	-53	-28	(>25)

Table of productivity information for Lapwing

Variable Period
(yrs) Years Mean
annual
sample Trend Predicted
in first year Predicted
in last year Change Comment

Clutch size 34 1968-2002 125 Linear increase 3.69 eggs 3.81 eggs 0.12 eggs

Daily failure rate (eggs) 34 1968-2002 136 Curvilinear 0.0167 nests/day 0.0229 nests/day 0.0062 nests/day

Laying date 34 1968-2002 31 None

Insufficient data on brood size
available for this species

Insufficient data on nestling failure
available for this species

Insufficient data on CES
available for this species


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This report should be cited as: Baillie, S.R., Marchant, J.H., Crick, H.Q.P., Noble, D.G., Balmer, D.E., Beaven, L.P., Coombes, R.H., Downie, I.S., Freeman, S.N., Joys, A.C., Leech, D.I., Raven, M.J., Robinson, R.A. and Thewlis, R.M. (2005) Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside: their conservation status 2004. BTO Research Report No. 385. BTO, Thetford. (http://www.bto.org/birdtrends) Pages maintained by Susan Waghorn and Iain Downie: Last updated 18 January, 2006