European Curlew headstarting – Biological Recording

Curlew Headstarting: Post-release Monitoring

This session from the European Curlew Headstarting Workshop was led by Katharine Bowgen from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and focused on post-release monitoring, exploring survival rates and effective methods for tracking released birds. Experiences were shared about where birds have been observed during the winter months and data were examined on their overwintering survival rates. Additionally, participants were invited to share insights and observations comparing the breeding success rate of headstarted birds versus wild populations.

Curlew Headstarting: Releasing Birds

This session from the European Curlew Headstarting Workshop was led by Dr Alex Nicol-Harper from the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) and focused on strategies for releasing Curlews into the wild. Discussions focused on the merits of hard versus soft releases, selecting optimal release areas, and the influence of existing wild populations. Headstarting projects contributed insights on predator management at release sites and observations on whether released birds tend to breed locally or disperse.

Curlew Headstarting: Health & Disease

This session from the European Curlew Headstarting Workshop was led by Dr Sophie Common from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and provided an overview of veterinary considerations and managing disease risks in conservation projects. Key topics included the role of veterinarians, the implementation of biosecurity measures, and disease management protocols. The session also offered participants an opportunity to share experiences with housing other bird species and conducting health checks before release.

Curlew Headstarting: Rearing Chicks

This session of the European Curlew Headstarting Workshop was led by Chrissie Kelley from Pensthorpe Conservation Trust and discusses best practices for rearing chicks. Topics will include designing optimal enclosures, feeding and monitoring routines, and techniques for weighing, sexing, and ring/tagging chicks. The session will also examine the recommended timelines for keeping chicks in pens during various developmental stages. In this blog you can find the recording of Chrissie’s presentation as well as a summary of the Q&A and discussion that followed during the live conference in 2025.