The distinctive Peewit display of the breeding Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) is as much a part of Wiltshire’s landscape and history as the rolling chalk downland on which they nest.

However, all is not well for the Lapwing. Across the UK breeding Lapwing numbers have crashed by around 60% since 1967 placing them firmly on the UK Red List.

Breeding lapwings face several threats that have a significant impact on productivity:

1.  Predation
2.  Isolation
3.  Disturbance and Damage
4.  Food Availability

How these threats interact and the impact they have can vary significantly from site to site and between populations. In order to effectively conserve Wiltshire’s breeding Lapwing a good understanding of the threats they face and how they can be effectively mitigated is required.