An analysis of 124 species of Europe's common birds has revealed that over a 26-year period 56 species (45%) have declined across 20 European countries. This alarming rate of decline has fuelled fears for the future of many continents' birds, including the Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus).

Five of ten common European species showing the greatest declines are birds of farmland habitats. A particularly worrying aspect of this development is the fact that a comparison of new and old EU member-states shows that the decline of farmland birds in the newest member-states is similar to that in longer-established EU states, where decline is caused by intensive farming.

"The declines are so severe that in Europe several farmland birds heading towards continental extinction", said Dr. Mark Avery, Director of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

One of these threatened birds is the Northern Lapwing, a species protected under AEWA and classified with status Column B, 2c¹.

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¹: Column B: Category 2: Populations numbering more than around 100,000 individuals and considered to be in need of special attention as a result of:
(c) Showing significant long-term decline