Fifteen groups gather to look at curlew conservation

The curlew is the largest European wading bird

Some 15 wildlife organisations are meeting in Norfolk to discuss ways of protecting the Eurasian curlew in an event described as the "first of its kind".

Curlew Action is hosting the gathering in King's Lynn and it will include a visit to the RSPB's Snettisham reserve on The Wash, which is a haven for wading birds.

Mary Colwell, founder of Curlew Action, said: "I want people to be aware that one of the iconic birds of the British countryside is declining so rapidly."

Singer David Gray, of Babylon and White Ladder fame, is a patron of the charity and is due to talk and perform at the event.

Groups and organisations from across the world including Finland, the Netherlands, Poland, France and Ireland will meet between Friday and Sunday.

Mary Colwell says the workshop allows people to come together and discuss the "real nitty gritty of saving curlews"

The European Curlew Fieldworker workshop will host sessions on habitat and predator management, nesting and working with a declining species.

Ms Colwell says events of this kind usually focus on scientists, but this will emphasise the role of field workers.

"They are kind of the front line; they are watching what happens every year; they are doing the counts; they are really important people," she said.

"I want to hear more from them... post-Brexit it is so important we keep our European links strong."

Curlew facts

• Tall wading bird with distinctive long, downward curving bill

• Feeds on worms, shellfish and shrimps in estuary mudflats

• Also lives on uplands, farmland and grassland

• nests on the ground, making eggs vulnerable to predators

• About 58,500 breeding pairs in UK, many migrating to and from mainland Europe

• UK population declined by 48% between 1995 and 2020, putting it on the UK Red List

Sources: RSPB and British Trust for Ornithology

Curlew Action's mission is to give the species a secure future through advocacy, supporting conservation efforts and highlighting the cultural importance of curlews.

Ms Colwell is also the chairwoman of the Curlew Recovery Partnership, and started the first World Curlew Day in 2017.

"Through the curlew you bring people together to talk about really big, important issues, if you get it right for curlews... so many other things benefit as well," she said.