The black-tailed godwit – our national bird – has been under pressure for years. Despite numerous conservation measures, the number of breeding pairs continues to decline. Researchers now know where the problem lies: too few chicks survive their first few weeks of life. The Black-tailed Godwit Chick Survival Project (2026–2030) therefore focuses on one crucial question: why do so many black-tailed godwit chicks not make it, and what can we do about it?
Why chicks in particular? — Black-tailed godwits are so-called precocial birds: their chicks leave the nest shortly after hatching and immediately set out to find food themselves, under the guidance of their parents. During those first 20 to 40 days, they are extremely vulnerable. They need to grow quickly to become strong enough to fly and later migrate to Africa. But they face three major challenges:
1) Food scarcity – fewer insects in the grassland
2) Predation – birds of prey and mammals that eat chicks
3) Land use – mowing, fertilisation and water management affect habitat and food
Exactly how these factors are interrelated is not yet fully understood. And it is precisely this insight that is needed to formulate effective policy. Zuidwest-Friesland as a living laboratory
Zuidwest-Friesland as a Living Lab — The research is taking place in an 11,500-hectare study area in Zuidwest-Friesland. Since 2004, precise records have been kept here of how many black-tailed godwits breed, how many nests are successful and how many chicks survive. Thanks to long-term collaboration with farmers, land managers and volunteers, this area has become one of the best-studied meadow bird areas in the world. These long-term data series make it possible to analyse trends reliably.
A unique experimental approach — What makes this project special is that it not only observes but also experiments. Some of the reared chicks are temporarily placed in small, fenced-off sections of plots with different management practices. During the day, they forage for food there under the supervision of the researchers. In the evening, they are brought safely indoors. This allows us to measure precisely how different land uses influence their growth when predation is not a factor. In a second experiment, some chicks are given a rich diet, comparable to the food supply in the 1980s, so they are expected to grow faster than chicks given a diet comparable to that of chicks growing up in the wild today.
In addition, wild and reared chicks will be fitted with ultra-light transmitters. These will allow researchers to track exactly where chicks forage, how they move through the landscape, when they depart for southern Europe or West Africa, which routes and habitats they use, whether and where they return to breed after 1–3 years.
All data – from insect numbers to migratory movements – is integrated into an advanced population model. This model simulates how the population develops under various scenarios.