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.