In the late 90's, it was reported that the lapwing, a formerly common bird across most of the United Kingdom had suffered severe in numbers,
In a 1987 survey, the breeding population was estimated at 200-250,000 pairs. By 1998, surveys estimated the population to be 120-140,000 pairs - a drop of 49% in 11 years!
A contributing factor was change in farm practises and loss of habitat for this open country bird.
Since then, amongst the conservation measures taken is Operation Lapwing - which supports the conservation work of many farmers!
An annual competition identifies the best examples of lapwing-friendly management and in the 2007 event, there were 300 participants and more than 135 pairs of lapwings had been bred on the seven best farms!