#104 The Voice That Stops the World: A Life Devoted to the Curlew with Mary Colwell

The curlew is a bird that makes you stop. With its long, downward-curving bill and muted earth-toned feathers, it blends quietly into the background—until it sings. Then, its haunting, bubbling call rises like an echo from the land itself, and for a moment, everything else falls away. That sound captured Mary Colwell and never let her go.In the UK, the Eurasian curlew graces our coastal edges in winter before returning inland in spring and summer to breed. In Australia, the Far Eastern curlew follows a staggering migratory route from the southern hemisphere to northern China. These birds connect continents with invisible threads across the skies. But behind this grace lies a crisis. The Eurasian curlew is in serious trouble, having declined by 60% in just 25 years. In the UK, which hosts a quarter of the global population, this is a devastating figure. Curlews nest on the ground, often in active farmland, leaving them exposed to everything from tractors and silage cutters to predators like foxes and crows. Their vulnerability is compounded by human development, leaving little space for these creatures to thrive.More Informationhttps://www.curlewaction.org/https://open.spotify.com/show/0fk43VAUrwG9ukf31DHO2Q?si=46d5afb0381d484fIf you enjoy this podcast, please like and subscribe to our show wherever you get your podcasts.Leave us a comment and share this show with your friends.It really helps us to reach more citizen scientists, like you.Contact the ShowWe are always looking for more guests to tell us about interesting citizen science projects, research and events.You can email us at: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.