When species are in decline, it is sometimes appropriate for humans to step in and support them using management actions. To ensure these actions are effective, they must target the factors influencing the population decline (breeding productivity and/or survival), in the appropriate places, at the appropriate times, using the appropriate tools. Targeted management actions have been used effectively to restore a number of rare and localised species, however, understanding how best to target management for widespread but declining species, such as the Curlew, is likely to be more challenging.

Outbreaks of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) have had a significant impact on the poultry industry and certain wild bird populations. Understanding the factors that lead to outbreaks is an important component of tackling the disease. The movements of migratory waterfowl have been linked to the spread of avian influenza, raising the question of whether existing data on bird movements could be used to develop an early warning system for the disease.

Why and how new migration routes emerge remain fundamental questions in ecology, particularly when viewed in the context of the current climate and biodiversity crises. We have already seen changes to migratory behaviour in some species, both in terms of the timing of movements and routes used, but identifying such changes at their earliest stage can be especially challenging, as this paper reveals.

The Curlew is of significant conservation concern in the UK, and poor breeding success is thought to be one driver of this species' decline. However, breeding behaviour can be particularly difficult to observe first-hand. Can GPS tracking data help address these knowledge gaps?

The disease Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has caused significant damage to both wild bird populations and the poultry industry. Detection of the disease has tended to rely on the sampling of dead birds following the reporting of mortality events, but could a different approach provide advance warning of potential outbreaks?

The loss of biodiversity is one of the most pressing issues globally. Efforts to tackle the issue include the use of protected areas, which are designated to protect species and/or their habitats from anthropogenic threats. But how effective are protected areas at achieving the desired biodiversity benefits?