Extinction of the slender-billed curlew

That this House notes with deep sadness the confirmed extinction of the Slender-Billed Curlew, the first recorded extinction of a mainland bird species from mainland Europe, North Africa and West Asia; acknowledges the likely causes of its decline, including the drainage of bog and wetland breeding grounds, loss of coastal feeding habitats, hunting and other environmental pressures; recognises that the Eurasian Curlew, commonly known as the Curlew, now faces similar threats from habitat loss, agricultural intensification and climate change; further notes that the UK holds around a quarter of the global breeding population of Curlews, placing a particular responsibility on the UK to ensure their survival; and therefore calls on the Government to support and strengthen measures for Curlew conservation, including habitat restoration and protection, nature-friendly farming schemes, the prevention of inappropriate afforestation in breeding areas, and the safeguarding and sustainable management of coastal wetlands to secure the future of this iconic species.