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Project Information

Project title

Kulik WIELKI zagrożony. Ochrona kulika wielkiego Numenius arquata w Polsce

Curlew in danger — protection of the Eurasian curlew Numenius arquata in Poland

Project acronym and number

LIFE23-NAT-PL-LIFEkulikPL/101147995

Information about the project on the LIFE program website

https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/life/publicWebsite/project/LIFE23-NAT-PL-LIFEkulikPL-101147995/curlew-in-danger-protection-of-the-eurasian-curlew-numenius-arquata-in-poland

Implementation period

1 Sep. 2024 – 31 Dec. 2029

Project consortium

Primary beneficiary (coordinator):

 Polish Society for Bird Protection (PTOP)

Partners:

Project budget

Total project cost: EUR 6,375,971.60

EU funding from the LIFE Fund (75%): EUR 4,778,131.20

Funding from the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (NFOŚiGW): PLN 4,113,362.00

Beneficiaries’ own contribution (10%): EUR 637,597.16

Implementation area

The project aims to maintain a stable population of the Eurasian Curlew and its recovery in the long term in 14 key breeding refuges of the species in Poland, where more than 75% of the national population of the Eurasian Curlew nests.

The project area includes 11 Natura 2000 sites, where the Eurasian Curlew is a subject of protection with an overall rating of at least C:

  • Lower Bug River Valley PLB140001,
  • Pulwy Marsh PLB140015,
  • Wkra and Mławka Rivers Valleys PLB140008,
  • Omulew and Płodownica Rivers Valleys PLB140005,
  • Liwiec River Valley PLB140002,
  • Biebrza Refuge PLB200006,
  • Wizna Marsh PLB200005,
  • Wielki Łęg Obrzański Riparian Forest PLB300004,
  • Nadnoteckie Łęgi Riparian Forests PLB300003,
  • Middle Warta River Valley PLB300002,
  • Warsaw-Berlin Proglacial Valley PLB100001

and 3 areas outside the Natura 2000 network:

  • Kurpie Refuge (IBA refuge code PL156),
  • Brzozówka River Valley in Podlaskie Voivodeship,
  • Żelizna meadow complex in the Lublin Voivodeship.

 0 P1 MAPA KulikPL

All project activities have been planned in response to the diagnosed threats, based on the experience of beneficiaries and the recognition of field conditions, as well as on good practice solutions with proven effectiveness in other projects. In the case of Poland, an important basis for the selection of most of the methods, techniques and tools used in the proposal was the National Plan for the Conservation of the Eurasian Curlew, approved by the General Director of Environmental Protection on 18 Dec. 2018.

 The planned activities are a continuation and complement of the work carried out by the beneficiaries under previous projects. The current project involves comprehensive protection of the Eurasian Curlew, including not only active protection of breeding grounds, but also predator reduction, land acquisition, shaping optimal habitat for the species, and participation in detailing provisions in planning documents for Natura 2000 areas.

Description of activities

The project plans to improve the quality of the Eurasian Curlew's habitat over an area of at least 1,000 hectares, including habitat use in accordance with the requirements of the Eurasian Curlew over an area of at least 700 hectares, land acquisition (185 hectares), habitat shaping through restoration of open areas (195 hectares), and improvement of hydrological conditions over an area of at least 500 hectares. At least 80 Eurasian Curlew nests per year will be actively protected, including by securing them with portable electric fences, incubating eggs and aviary breeding (feeding the population with at least 385 individuals for the duration of the project and 190 for up to 5 years after the end of the project). Tasks have also been planned to increase the effectiveness of the species’ management system on a national and regional scale (including the revision and update of conservation task plans and the National Conservation Program for the Eurasian Curlew), as well as extensive monitoring and evaluation, communication, and sustainability and replication activities that will enable further use of the project's results. An important expected outcome of the project is an increase in the productivity of the Eurasian Curlew population in Poland to >0.5 fledgling per breeding pair.