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New Project in England Will Evaluate Oystercatcher Nest Protection Measures

Eurasian oystercatcher standing on a sandy shore
Conservation · Management

A new conservation project in England will evaluate and further develop nest-protection measures designed to improve breeding success in Eurasian oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus). The species was named on 9 April 2026 among the first wildlife to receive support through Natural England’s new Species Recovery Programme funding round.

The project is being delivered by Natural England and the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust. A final list of funded projects published on 8 July identifies its purpose as the evaluation and strategic development of nest-protection measures for oystercatchers, with work focused in the Thames Solent and Norfolk and Suffolk regions.

Funding runs from 2026 to 2029

The oystercatcher project is part of the Species Recovery Programme awards for 2026–2029. The programme funds targeted actions for species considered priorities for recovery and is intended to support measures identified through national species-recovery planning.

The April announcement did not specify a project-level funding amount or describe individual nest-protection techniques. It stated that the new work is intended to improve breeding success in England, while the July project list confirms that testing and refining nest-protection measures is the central objective.

The government announcement notes that Britain supports internationally important wintering numbers, with up to 45% of Europe’s oystercatchers spending the winter there. It also describes the species as declining in Europe and highlights habitat degradation and pressure on important shellfish resources among the threats facing it. The new project addresses a different part of the life cycle by focusing directly on breeding success and on which nest-protection measures are most useful in English breeding areas.

Sources and image credit

  1. Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, & Natural England. (2026, April 9). Threatened species set for major funding boost. GOV.UK.Primary government announcement naming Eurasian oystercatcher among the first species supported through the 2026 Species Recovery Programme funding round and stating that Natural England and the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust will work to improve breeding success in England.
  2. Natural England. (2026, July 8). Species Recovery Programme: Projects awarded funding for 2026 to 2029. GOV.UK.Final project list confirming the project title, lead organisations and focus in Thames Solent and Norfolk and Suffolk.

Image: Hobbyfotowiki — Eurasian oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) photographed on Amrum, Germany, 14 May 2022; representative species image, not a bird from the English nest-protection project. Source: Wikimedia Commons. · CC0 1.0 · Source

About this content: This story was produced with AI assistance within an editorial workflow developed by Wildlife Vagabond. Editorial responsibility remains with Wildlife Vagabond.How AI is used

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