Funding to protect threatened birds on the Norfolk coast has been granted as part of an 80-year plan to address disturbance to protected sites.
5 min read
Generations of threatened birds on beaches in Norfolk have received a much need boost, thanks to new funding for conservation work on the east coast.
Existing RSPB projects ‘Plovers in Peril’ and ‘Tern Around’ that protect nesting Ringed Plovers, Oystercatchers and Little Terns during the breeding season, have received funding for the next three years, with the potential to extend funding for decades to come, from the Norfolk Green Infrastructure & Recreational Impact Avoidance Mitigation Strategy (GIRAMS)*. This is part of a long-term Norfolk wide plan costed for the next 80-years by local Government in the county to protect wildlife sites from disturbance and will make a significant step towards securing the future for these species along this coastline.
Over the years, dedicated teams of staff and volunteers have taken care of protected nesting areas and raised awareness about birds on the beaches with visitors and local people, helping to yield positive results. The funding package provides an initial £384,000 until 2029, with additional funding to be budgeted over the coming decades.
It is a substantial investment not only for conservation, but the future natural heritage to be inherited by local communities and visitors to the east coast who have truly taken the plight of these birds to their hearts since the projects began - either by volunteering to protect their nests or by following advice to keep their distance from active nests when exploring the beach.
Overwintering birds such as Oystercatchers, Knot and Bar-tailed Godwit will also benefit, as more work to prevent disturbance to hundreds of thousands of roosting and feeding birds around The Wash and North Norfolk Coast during autumn and winter months can now be implemented. This will include raising awareness of wintering birds with visitors via face-to-face conversations with staff and visitors at key sites and the installation of information signs.
The RSPB working in close partnership with other organisations along this stretch of coast to protect beach nesting birds has successfully stabilised populations in recent years, with encouraging signs that species such as Little Tern and Ringed Plovers are increasing. This is despite facing a multitude of pressures such as nest sites being disturbed by recreational visitors, nest vulnerability to predators, high tides, poor weather and land development.
Indeed, the 2026 breeding season has seen good results in terms of fledged young from both the Plovers in Peril project – where 56 Ringed Plover chicks successfully fledged this year, and the Tern Around project, which successfully fledged 527 Little Tern chicks – the third highest number of chicks since the project began 40 years ago and the third highest number of breeding pairs too. And a total of more than 5,600 hours were clocked up this season by volunteers giving their time to help protect these vulnerable species.
Norfolk populations of these species are of great importance, with its Little Terns being of national, European and international importance and Ringed Plovers being important nationally and in Europe. The sight of 900 adult and fledged Little Terns at Great Yarmouth beach, as seen during this years breeding season, is quite a nature spectacle seen in very few places.
"This is a magnificent moment for nature conservation on the Norfolk coast.
The success of these nationally important projects is down to the incredible support of our volunteers, local communities, coastal visitors and partner organisations, who have shown that people and wildlife can thrive side by side. Their dedication to the projects has helped deliver real conservation gains for some of our most vulnerable beach-nesting birds, and we simply could not achieve these results without them.
We are hugely grateful to Norfolk's local authorities for their vision and commitment. This investment will help ensure that even more Little Tern and Ringed Plover chicks take flight from Norfolk's beaches for decades to come, while allowing us to expand our work to protect the thousands of migratory and overwintering birds that depend on our coast each year. It is a powerful example of what can be achieved when communities, conservation organisations and public bodies come together with a shared ambition for nature."
Norfolk’s beaches sit in the middle of the East Coast Wetlands; an internationally important stretch of English coastline that sees thousands of birds migrate through each year. The East Coast Wetlands are so important to wildlife they are currently on the tentative list to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
