Renewables partnership boosts efforts to save Wales’ endangered curlew
Renewables partnership boosts efforts to save Wales’ endangered curlew
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Renewable energy developers across Wales have joined forces to support conservation efforts for one of the country’s most threatened bird species, the curlew.
More than 700 km² of ecological survey data has been shared with Natural Resources Wales (NRW) to help inform the national Curlew Recovery Plan.
The data, gathered from 53 proposed wind and solar project sites, will feed into NRW’s nationwide wader survey in 2026.
Curlew numbers in Wales are declining by around 6% annually, leaving as few as 400 breeding pairs. Without urgent action, experts warn the species could vanish from Wales by 2033.
By pooling their resources, developers have provided NRW with access to detailed, high-quality data that would have been impossible to replicate within existing budgets or staffing capacity.
The dataset identifies 76 curlew territories, along with lapwing, snipe, golden plover, and redshank populations, offering critical insights into where wader species remain and where they have disappeared.
Jessica Hooper, Director of RenewableUK Cymru, said: “This kind of collaboration is hugely important given the short time we have left to act.
“By sharing rigorous ecological data already collected for project planning, developers have enabled NRW to cover more ground, more quickly, and at no extra cost to the taxpayer.
“It shows how the private and public sectors can work together to help conserve species at risk.”
Bethan Beech, Specialist Advisor for Terrestrial Species Recovery at NRW, added: “This collaborative approach supports our commitment to nature recovery and evidence-based decision-making, as outlined in NRW’s corporate plan.
“The data provided by RenewableUK Cymru is being used by NRW during the planning phase of the 2026 Wales Wader Survey.
“Having access to this information enables NRW and its partners to concentrate survey efforts in areas that have not been monitored for curlew or other wader species in recent years.”
The dataset, collated and standardised by BSG Ecology, will now form a key part of the evidence base for the Curlew Recovery Plan for Wales, first published in 2021.
Participating developers include RWE Renewables, Galileo Empower UK Ltd, Vattenfall Ltd, Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru, Wind 2, Coriolis Energy Ltd, Bute Energy, and EDF Energy, with support from Dulas Ltd, SLR, Atmos Consulting and BSG Ecology.
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