Little Ringed Plover and Ringed Plover Breeding Survey Appeal

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Summary

This appeal funded a UK-wide survey of breeding Little Ringed and Ringed Plovers in 2007, the first national survey for these species since 1984.
Our survey and subsequent analysis were completed successfully thanks to support from Anglian Water.
We published the results of the surveys in a scientific paper in Bird Study.

Findings of the Little Ringed Plover and Ringed Plover surveys

Little Ringed Plover first bred in the UK in Hertfordshire in 1938. Breeding numbers have increased steadily since, accompanied by a range expansion to the north and west. The species is Green-listed in the UK Birds of Conservation Concern.

The Ringed Plover, by contrast, is on the UK Birds of Conservation Concern Red list with the UK breeding population estimated to have fallen by 37% between 1984 and 2007.

The UK populations of both species appear to have stabilised since, but greater conservation and protection efforts are required at coastal sites to ensure local breeding numbers are prevented from dropping further.