Decline of the Northern Lapwing in France: Role of Climate and Conservation Measures

A release of Northern Lapwings (Vanellus vanellus) took place on September 22nd in Deux-Sèvres, as part of a national conservation plan for a species classified among the most threatened in France. Each year, these releases aim to compensate for the sharp decline in the number of individuals observed in the agricultural plains of southwestern France, where landscape transformation and extreme climatic conditions threaten reproduction.

What's happening: The Northern Lapwing, its status, and affected areas

The Northern Lapwing once inhabited the vast open spaces of French countryside, notably in Deux-Sèvres, Charente-Maritime, and Lot-et-Garonne. Today, the number of breeding individuals is estimated at a few hundred, placing the species among the most fragile in the country. The national conservation plan, launched in 2023, provides for regular releases, the creation of protected nesting zones, and intensive population monitoring using Copernicus satellite data and Météo France ground surveys.

Affected areas are mainly agricultural plains with low forest cover, where birds nest among cereal and rapeseed fields. Landscape fragmentation combined with increased pressure from intensive farming practices reduces the availability of breeding sites and increases juvenile mortality. Observers also note a decrease in insect availability, the main food source for chicks, due to the reduction of wetlands.

Why climate plays a role: Mechanisms of impact on agricultural habitats

According to weather models, summers in southwestern plains are becoming progressively drier and warmer. This trend, observed by ECMWF and corroborated by Copernicus data, results in reduced soil moisture content and drying of temporary wetlands that serve as water reservoirs for insects. The decreased availability of insects directly affects the survival rate of lapwing chicks, which depend on abundant prey during their first weeks.

Moreover, increasingly concentrated heavy rainfall events can cause localized flooding that may destroy ground nests. The phenomenon of 'intense rains-prolonged drought', characteristic of climate change, creates a double stress: periods of drought limiting food, followed by flood episodes destroying nesting sites. These mechanisms are amplified by the loss of hedgerows and riparian zones that once buffered hydrological fluctuations.

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