It’s nesting season and whilst we might naturally think of nests in trees and hedges, there’s a fascinating group of birds that defy convention and build their nests on or near the ground. These ground-nesting birds face a variety of challenges to protect their eggs and young from both predators and environmental challenges. Here, we meet a few of them and discover some of their survival strategies.

Skylark

A farmland and grassland habitat-dweller, the male Skylark displays some impressive aerial and vocal antics, hovering vertically at up to 300m whilst in full song, before parachuting back down to earth. It is on the ground though, that these birds nest, choosing open areas where the vegetation is up to 50cm high. Skylark chicks become independent in just two weeks – which is handy considering that their parents can have up to four broods in a breeding season! 

Lapwing

A familiar species found on farmland and wetlands, Lapwings can often be seen flying as a flock in winter skies. Come spring, they disperse with some birds heading back to their continental breeding grounds whilst others remain here to breed. The female will sit on the nest – little more than a scrape in the mud in an open area - and by late spring fluffy chicks will appear and venture out to forage. If the nest is threatened the parents will attack or ‘mob’ potential predators.

Snipe

At home in marshes and wet grassland, Snipe make a simple scrape in the moist soil to nest and key to its breeding success is that the immediate area surrounding it stays wet over spring and summer. This enables the birds to use their long beak with a flexible tip to probe the soft soil for food sources, close to their nest. By using a jerking motion, they can suck up worms, insect larva and snails without having to remove their beak from the mud – somewhat like a straw!

Yellowhammer

A farmland bird, the sparrow-sized male Yellowhammer stands out in a mixed flock with bright yellow plumage, whilst the female is altogether less showy and can be hard to tell apart from other female buntings. In April, the female builds a cup shaped nest of grass or plant materials on or close to the ground in field margins where there is long grass, scrub and woodland edges, or in hedgerows, where ready food sources lay close to hand.

Did you know: According to The State of Nature Report 2023, 43% of bird species in Great Britain are threatened with extinction. Between 1970 and 2021, common bird species have declined on average by 16%, but within this group, farmland birds, including some of these ground-nesting birds, have suffered particularly strong declines of on average 59%.

How can we help ground-nesting birds?

Together we can support this group of birds by:

Keeping dogs on leads and staying on marked paths

A bounding or inquisitive dog can disturb wildlife. By keeping your dog on a lead and sticking to pathways, you can help to avoid the possibility of eggs being trampled upon or scaring adult birds off their nests; vulnerable chicks can soon perish if left alone. This applies to all grassland areas, whether there is signage requesting you do so or not.

Supporting landholders with their management plans

Have you heard about our Chalk Rivers and Farm Advisory project? Ground-nesting birds are just some of the wildlife that will benefit. You can read more about this here.