Breeding population estimates for Lapwing, Oystercatcher and Curlew in Scotland: results of the 1998 BTO Lapwing Survey.

Abstract

Volunteer fieldworkers surveyed 142 tetrads in Scotland for breeding Lapwings during spring 1998, 118 of which were surveyed for other wader species also. Breeding populations of 69,800 pairs of Lapwings, 36,200 pairs of Oystercatchers and 32,000 pairs of Curlews were estimated in Scotland. The Lapwing population estimate is slightly higher than that for England and Wales in 1998, suggesting that the British population may now be less than 140,000 pairs. The estimates for Oystercatcher and Curlew are conservative. This suggests that previous estimates of the British population of Curlews may be too low.