Curlew
Ground Nest Fest
Saturday 18th & Sunday 19th April at Settle, North Yorkshire.
Come flock to a nest-tacular celebration!
Join us on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th where once again, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust programmes Wild Ingleborough and Yorkshire Peat Partnership are teaming up to bring you Ground Nest Fest.
Come celebrate the many ground nesting birds who make our Yorkshire uplands their summer homes. Explore the lives of these birds and their habitats through talks and information stalls, creative activities, a nature-inspired concert, and guided farm walks.
Plan your trip Ground nesting bird fact file
Plan your Ground Nest Fest
Plan your trip
(c) Curlew - Judith Greaves
Ground nesting bird fact file
Learn moreGrand ground nesters
Here are five key bits of information about ground nesting birds.
Yorkshire is a stronghold for ground-nesting birds
Yorkshire supports 43% of the UK’s curlew breeding population, alongside 57% of short-eared owls and 56% of breeding ring ouzels, making it one of the most important landscapes for these species.
They signal the arrival of spring
When the curlew’s unmistakable “cur-lee” call echoes across the Dales, spring has truly arrived. These birds migrate here to breed, joined by other familiar species such as lapwing, snipe and skylark.
Their nests are surprisingly simple
A nest created on the ground can be as simple as a simple scrape in the mud. Some species make it more cosy by adding dry grasses or small twigs.
They are masters of camouflage
To avoid being spotted by predators such as crows or foxes, the birds rely on impressive camouflage. Adults and young alike blend into the surrounding vegetation.
Ground-nesters are among our most threatened wildlife
Over half of England’s most threatened breeding bird species nest on or near the ground. Many much-loved ground-nesting birds are at risk due to increasing pressure from habitat loss, predators, disturbance and climate change. It is more important than ever that we work to protect them and their habitats.