Newborn Pensthorpe curlews prepare for release after rescue

Newly-hatched curlews are preparing to be released into the wild after their eggs were rescued from airfields, where they like to nest.

They were collected by Natural England and partners and taken to Pensthorpe Natural Park, Norfolk, where they will be looked after for about 45 days.

Head of species management Chrissie Kelley said: "The population's been declining hugely over the past 20 years and we really need to do something to reverse that."

Europe's largest wading bird curlews breed on a range of habitats, but primarily favour rough grasslands, moorlands and bogs. In 2021, curlews were added to the Red list on the UK Conservation Status Report, external.

A total of 79 hand-reared birds were released in 2021 and a similar number was expected this time. They will be released at Wild Ken Hill, hosts of the BBC's Springwatch programme and Sandringham.