The Big Picture
Space for Shorebirds is one piece of a much bigger picture. The birds we see in Northumberland are found across many countries and continents, so it’s important to understand their populations on a global scale.
Here’s a breakdown of recent national and international trends for some key shorebird species, and information explaining how these assessments are made.
| Bird Species | UK 25-year population trend (WeBS) | UK status (BoCC) | Global conservation status (IUCN) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanderling (Calidris alba) | 47% | Amber | Least concern |
| Dunlin (Calidris alpina) | -34% | Red | Near Threatened |
| Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) | -21% | Amber | Near Threatened |
| Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima) | -15% | Red | Least concern |
| Ringed Plover (Chanadrius hiaticula) | -46% | Red | Least concern |
| Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) | -35% | Amber | Vulnerable |
| Curlew (Numenius arquata) | -32% | Red | Near Threatened |
| Redshank (Tringa totanus) | -19% | Amber | Least concern |
| Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) | -21% | Amber | Near Threatened |
GLOBAL MONITORING
A set of standard methods to collect data on shorebirds and other wildlife are provided to all countries by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature). This enables the IUCN to assess species populations worldwide and determine their conservation status on the global Red List of Threatened Species.
NATIONAL MONITORING
Shorebird population counts are conducted throughout the British Isles by conservationists and volunteers. These include the Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) and Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), coordinated by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). The data collected in these schemes is used to estimate population trends for UK bird species. The conservation status of each species is then listed as Red, Amber or Green under Birds of Conservation Concern (BoCC), the UK’s national Red List for Birds.
What are ‘population trends’?
Population trends describe the change in a species population over time. Let’s use the ringed plover as an example:
Since the 1980s, the UK’s breeding and wintering ringed plover population has declined dramatically . Consequently, this species is Red listed under Birds of Conservation Concern.
The graph below provides a more detailed view of the ringed plover population trend. Taking a snapshot of the past 10 years, the population appears relatively stable (+2% overall). But looking further back, the past 25 years, show a significant decline of -46%.
So, population trends can look different depending on your starting point. This causes what scientists call ‘shifting baseline syndrome’, a gradual shift in what people think of as ‘normal’ in their natural environment. Today, it might look as though we have lots of ringed plovers living on the coast; but their decline becomes visible when investigating the data over a longer timescale.
What is ‘conservation status’?
Conservation status describes whether a species is threatened with extinction. This is determined by their population trend, so the conservation status of any living species can change over time. Once a species becomes extinct, this cannot be reversed.
The conservation status of every species is reviewed approximately every 6 years for the UK, and every 10 years globally. In 2024 the IUCN downgraded the global status of several shorebird species native to the UK following significant population declines:
Turnstone – downgraded from Least Concern to Near Threatened
Dunlin – downgraded from Least Concern to Near Threatened
Grey plover – downgraded from Least Concern to Vulnerable
Curlew sandpiper – downgraded from Near Threatened to Vulnerable
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| Least Concern | A species is widespread and abundant |
| Near Threatened | A species likely to become threatened in the near future |
| Vulnerable | A species facing a high risk of extinction in the wild |
| Endangered | A species facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild |
| Critically Endangered | A species facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild |
| Extinct in the Wild | A species which survives in captivity, cultivation, or has a naturalised population outside its past range |
| Extinct | After exhaustive surveys, the last known individual has died |
References
IUCN (2024) The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Stanbury, A., Eaton, M., Aebischer, N., Balmer, D., Brown, A., Douse, A., Lindley, P., McCulloch, N., Noble, D., and Win I. 2021. The status of our bird populations: the fifth Birds of Conservation Concern in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man and second IUCN Red List assessment of extinction risk for Great Britain. British Birds 114: 723-747. Available online at The status of our bird populations
Woodward, I.D., Calbrade, N.A., Birtles, G.A., Feather, A., Peck, K., Wotton, S.R., Shaw, J.M., Balmer, D.E. & Frost, T.M. 2024. Waterbirds in the UK 2022/23: The Wetland Bird Survey and Goose & Swan Monitoring Programme. BTO/ RSPB/JNCC/NatureScot. Thetford. Available online at Waterbirds in the UK — Summary report | BTO – British Trust for Ornithology