Norway's Lapwings hold on in a farmland stronghold
A new survey underlines the importance of Jaeren, where local breeding numbers contrast with a much wider national decline.
Nearly 2,000 pairs of Lapwings were recorded in three municipalities in Jæren this year, according to BirdLife Norway, reinforcing the importance of the south-western farmland district for a species in serious national decline. The result points to a substantial surviving stronghold, rather than evidence of recovery across Norway.
In its account of the Ecofact survey, BirdLife reports a combined fall of about 3% in Klepp, Hå and Time compared with counts in 2011-2013, athough the pattern was uneven: numbers fell by 14.5% in Klepp and 1.6% in Time, while Hå recorded an increase of 12.4%.
The organisation estimates that seven Jæren municipalities together hold around half of Norway's breeding Lapwings. Its national estimate for 2024-2026 is 4,000-5,000 pairs, compared with 7,500-10,000 pairs in 2011-2013. Those national estimates provide context for the local survey, but are separate figures.
Jaeren thus underlines its status as the species' core area in Norway.
Frode Falkenberg, BirdLife Norway - translated from Norwegian
The wider decline is reflected in Norway's 2021 Red List assessment, which classified Lapwing as Critically Endangered nationally. That assessment drew on monitoring programmes and local surveys and described a steep reduction over several decades. The category applies within Norway; it is not a statement that the species has the same status worldwide.
The assessment also explains why agricultural management is central to its prospects. Lapwings originally occupied habitats including marshes and coastal meadows, but have become closely associated with farmland in Norway. Drainage, repeated cutting and intensive cultivation can affect their breeding habitat, while changes around fields can alter exposure to predators.
Norwegian-breeding birds winter mainly in the British Isles, France and the Iberian Peninsula, according to the same assessment. Their annual cycle therefore extends well beyond the landscapes in which the new breeding counts were made. The survey itself measures the breeding population in the three municipalities; it does not identify what happens to those birds during migration or winter.
BirdLife's national Lapwing project, launched in 2022, combines work on population estimates with local protection. Its aims include locating important breeding areas, bringing together records from different districts and improving knowledge of the birds through individual marking.
The project also involves contact with farmers, landowners and public authorities. That local work is relevant to a bird nesting in actively managed agricultural land, where the distribution of pairs and the timing of operations both matter. Counting occupied territories and protecting breeding attempts are different parts of the programme.
The new figures leave important questions open. A count of pairs does not measure how many chicks ultimately fledge, and the small combined change conceals contrasting trends between neighbouring municipalities. BirdLife's published summary does not provide enough methodological detail to assess the uncertainty around those comparisons.
6 Oct 2026
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