CAB5: Nesting plots for lapwing and stone curlew
Source: gov.uk (2025-09-10)

What you must do to get paid for this CSHT action and advice on how to do it.

This action is part of Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT). You must read the CSHT guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/countryside-stewardship-higher-tier-csht) before you apply.

Duration

5 years

How much you’ll be paid

£765 per hectare (ha) per year

Action’s aim

This action’s aim is that there are fallow cultivated plots which:
- have enough bare ground for nesting lapwing and stone curlew from spring through to late summer
- are present from early spring until the arable crop is harvested in the summer
The purpose is to provide:
- nesting sites for lapwing and stone curlew
- flower, insect and seed-rich foraging habitat for other declining farmland birds (such as corn bunting, grey partridge, reed bunting, skylark and yellowhammer), small mammals, beneficial insects and important arable plants
Where you can do this action

You can do this action on eligible land that’s located below the moorland line that’s identified by you as not being at risk of soil erosion or surface runoff – you must keep evidence of this.

You cannot do this action on historic or archaeological features.

You must not do this action on land that’s within:
- 100m of woods, in-field and hedgerow trees, buildings, overhead power lines, main roads and public rights of way
- 200m of wind turbines
Eligible land

You can do this action on land that’s:
- an eligible land type
- registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps
- declared with a land use code (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/land-use-codes-rural-payments) which is compatible with the eligible land cover
Available area you can enter into this action

Total or part of the available area in the land parcel.

Rotational or static action

This action is rotational or static. This means you can either:
- move the action every year
- keep it at the same location each year
What to do

Your Natural England adviser will assess your land. They’ll work with you to adapt and agree the activities you must do to achieve this action’s aim. All mandatory activities will be set out in your agreement document.

To get paid for this action, you must:
- create and retain individual cultivated fallow plots – you’ll agree the size, location and timing of these plots with your adviser
- restore an agreed area of suitable bare ground nesting habitats
In the final year of this action, you must do this action until the arable crop is harvested in the summer or this action’s end date, whichever is earlier.

When to do it

You must do this action each year of its duration.

Evidence to keep

You must keep evidence to show what you have done to complete this action. If it’s not clear that you have done this action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve its aim, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) may ask for this evidence.

You must supply the evidence if they ask for it, including:
- field operations at a land parcel level
- associated invoices
- photographs
Other actions or options you can do on the same area as this action

You can do the following actions or options on the same area in a land parcel as this action.

Some actions or options can only be done on the same area if they’re done at a different time of year to this action.

You can do the following actions or options on the eligible boundaries of a land parcel entered into this action:
- CSHT actions: CWT3, CHRW4
- SFI 2024 actions: CHRW1, CHRW2, CHRW3, BND1, BND2, WBD10
- SFI 2023 actions: HRW1, HRW2, HRW3
- CS option BE3 (management of hedgerows)
Consents, permissions and licensing requirements

To apply for this action, you’ll need:
- Scheduled Monument Consent (https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/planning/consents/smc/) from Historic England for any work on scheduled monuments
- consent from Natural England for any activity on land designated as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/protected-areas-sites-of-special-scientific-interest#get-consent-to-carry-out-operations-on-your-land)
You may need to:
- agree an implementation plan or feasibility study with your Natural England adviser
- get a wildlife licence (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/wildlife-licences) from Natural England if your activities affect a protected species or their habitat
All historic and archaeological features (including scheduled monuments) are identified in your Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (HEFER).

If you’re a tenant, it’s your responsibility to check whether your tenancy agreement allows you to complete what’s required in the actions you choose. You may need your landlord’s consent.

Capital grants to support this action

If you need to complete an implementation plan or a feasibility study before you apply, you can apply for capital grants plans funding (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/capital-items-guidance-for-applicants-and-agreement-holders#capital-grants-plans).

You can also apply for capital items (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/capital-items-guidance-for-applicants-and-agreement-holders) to help you achieve the action’s aims. Your Natural England adviser will discuss eligible capital items with you.

Advice to help you do this action

The following optional advice may help you to do this action. Your agreement document will set out all the activities you must do.

Choosing the right location

Locate the nesting plots for lapwing or stone curlew:
- on level or slightly sloping ground with an open aspect
- on arable fields that are at least around 5ha, or around 10ha if woodland forms at least a quarter of the field boundary
- in areas where lapwing or stone curlew nest or have previously nested
Locate stone curlew plots:
- in the same place every year
- at least 500m away from sources of disturbance
Lapwing, plots:
- can be moved or fixed in the same place every year
- next to extensively managed grassland where lapwing can feed their chicks
Plot size and retention period

To maximise the benefits for your target species, follow these minimum plot width, size and retention periods.

Establishing the plots

To maximise the chances of lapwing or stone curlew occupying your fallow plots, aim to have all plots prepared by:
- mid-February for lapwing
- mid-March for stone curlew
On heavier (clay) soils that can be more difficult to cultivate during very dry or wet conditions, you can:
- plough plots the previous autumn
- allow them to weather down to provide suitable nesting conditions by early spring
- cultivate in March if the land is too wet in February but leave the plot uncultivated if birds are circling over it or are already nesting on it
You can establish lapwing plots by either:
- cultivating to create the appearance of a very rough seedbed, as lapwings rarely nest on a bare surface that’s too smooth – you do not need to cultivate plots that are already bare
- spraying to create the fallow – early weed control (when they’re a few centimetres tall) creates bare ground rather than a mat of dead vegetation
You can establish stone curlew plots by using a spring tine cultivator, cultivator with press (not a pack roller or flexi-coil) or plough with a press to create a rough fallow. The best stone curlew nests are often surrounded by scattered small rocks, stones and minimal vegetation.

Vegetation will quickly cover the bare ground that lapwing and stone curlew need to nest on so there is no need to apply fertilisers (organic or inorganic) to plots.

Managing plots for lapwing

Once established, you’ll need to keep lapwing plots bare, with no more than 70%

vegetation cover until lapwing finish nesting at the end of July.

You can allow some vegetation to grow to provide cover and feeding habitat for chicks.

To maintain the optimal mix of bare ground and vegetation cover, you can re-cultivate or use herbicide to clear vegetation. Ideally do this when the vegetation is no more than a few centimetres tall. Do not re-cultivate if there are nesting birds.

You’ll need to keep your plots until end July when lapwing have finished nesting.

Managing plots for stone curlew

Once established, you’ll need to keep stone curlew plots bare, with no more than

40% vegetation cover until stone curlew finish nesting at the end of September.

Check your plots to make sure vegetation covers no more than 60% of the area in early to mid-May.

To maintain the optimal mix of bare ground and vegetation cover, you can re-cultivate or use herbicide to clear vegetation. Ideally do this when the vegetation is no more than a few centimetres tall. Do not re-cultivate if there are nesting birds.

Managing stone curlew plots for first and second brood attempts

Stone curlews have a long breeding season and will nest more than once. You may need to divide your plot into 2 halves so you can manage:
- one half of the plot for the first brood of chicks
- the other half for the second brood
The simplest way to provide optimal bare ground for second broods is to spray off one half of your plot in May using a non-selective herbicide. Ideally do this when the vegetation is less than 5 cm tall in early to mid-May. If spraying is not possible, you can instead cultivate the plot.

Keep your plots until the end of September when stone curlews have finished nesting. Leave plots undisturbed over winter into February to provide food and shelter for other farmland birds.

Machinery access within the adjacent crop

Avoid damaging the plots and minimise risk to eggs and chicks when using machinery to carry out day-to-day farm operations on adjacent crops (such as spraying and fertilising). Do this by making sure the machinery:
- keeps to the tramlines
- is switched off when passing over the plots
- avoids drift onto the plots
Machinery access within fallow plots

Using machinery within fallow plots carries the risk of damaging nests and chicks until they’re fledged. To minimise the risk of damage to eggs and chicks:
- always check plots (including tramlines) for active nests before carrying out any operations
- delay spraying (or re-cultivating) plots until after fledging
- avoid the area around active nests
- leave the areas cultivated or sprayed in April (for lapwing) or May (for stone curlew) undisturbed to end of breeding season
Getting extra funding

With approval from Natural England, you can sometimes use the CSP9: Support for threatened species (https://www.gov.uk/find-funding-for-land-or-farms/csp9-support-for-threatened-species) supplement with this action to cover additional costs. These are costs you may incur when retaining nesting plots for stone curlew until the end of September.