Finding curlews with thermal drones: how UAV technology could support conservation work
The curlew is one of the most recognisable birds in the British countryside.
Its long curved bill and haunting call are part of the soundscape of moorland, farmland, wet grassland and upland landscapes. But the curlew is also one of the UK’s most worrying conservation stories.
Across many areas, breeding curlew numbers have fallen sharply. As a ground-nesting bird, the curlew faces a difficult combination of pressures, including habitat loss, agricultural change, predation, disturbance and low chick survival.
For conservationists, land managers and environmental organisations, one of the biggest challenges is simple:
How do you find and monitor curlews without causing unnecessary disturbance?
That is where drone technology, especially thermal drones, may have an important role to play.
Thermal drones are not a magic answer. They do not replace experienced ecologists, fieldcraft or proper conservation planning. But used carefully, they can help teams find heat signatures, survey larger areas, collect better information and make faster decisions.
For a species under pressure, better information at the right time can make a real difference.
Why curlews are difficult to monitor
Curlews are not easy birds to monitor during the breeding season.
They often nest on open ground, rough grassland, moorland, farmland or wetland areas. Their eggs and chicks can be extremely well camouflaged. Adults may be visible or audible at times, but locating exact nesting activity or chick presence can still be difficult.
Traditional survey methods usually rely on experienced observers walking routes, watching behaviour, listening for calls and interpreting activity from the ground.
That skill remains essential.
However, ground surveys can have limitations:
They can be time consuming.
They can cover only limited areas at a time.
They may disturb sensitive birds if not carefully managed.
They may miss well hidden chicks or nest sites.
They can be affected by vegetation, weather and access restrictions.
They may put people into difficult terrain or sensitive habitat.
A thermal drone offers a different perspective.
Instead of relying only on what can be seen from ground level, the drone can provide a controlled aerial view and detect temperature differences that may not be visible to the naked eye.
How thermal drones can help
Thermal cameras detect heat.
In conservation work, that can be valuable because warm-blooded animals may stand out from their surroundings, particularly at suitable times of day when the contrast between the animal and the background is strongest.
For curlew monitoring, a thermal drone may help identify:
Adult birds
Chicks
Potential nesting areas
Activity in rough vegetation
Locations that need further ground verification
Areas where survey teams should focus attention
The key point is that a thermal drone does not simply “find curlews” automatically in every situation.
It helps the operator identify heat signatures that may then need to be checked, interpreted and verified by people who understand the species and the habitat.
This is why thermal drones should be used as part of a conservation workflow, not as a standalone shortcut.
Why timing matters
Thermal detection is strongly affected by environmental conditions.
A bird or chick is easier to detect when its heat signature contrasts clearly with the surrounding ground or vegetation.
That means timing is important.
Early morning can often be useful because the ground may still be cool, making warm bodies stand out more clearly. Cooler conditions may provide better contrast than the middle of a sunny day, when rocks, bare soil, vegetation and other surfaces may have heated up.
Survey teams should consider:
Time of day
Ambient temperature
Sunlight
Wind
Rain
Vegetation height
Ground type
Species behaviour
Breeding stage
Disturbance risk
A well planned survey will usually produce better results than a casual flight.
For sensitive species such as curlew, the aim should always be to collect useful data while keeping disturbance as low as possible.
Thermal drones and curlew chicks
Finding curlew chicks can be particularly difficult.
Curlew chicks are mobile soon after hatching and can move through vegetation. They are small, well camouflaged and vulnerable. From ground level, they may be very hard to see.
Thermal imaging may help survey teams locate possible chick heat signatures, especially when conditions are favourable.
This could support conservation work by helping teams:
Confirm breeding success
Understand chick survival
Identify areas of activity
Reduce time spent searching on foot
Focus protection measures
Inform land management decisions
Support predator management discussions
Improve monitoring records
However, chick monitoring must be handled with extreme care.
Any drone work around breeding birds must be properly planned, legally compliant and designed to avoid unnecessary disturbance.
The purpose should be conservation support, not curiosity.
AI and curlew detection
Artificial intelligence is starting to play a role in wildlife monitoring.
Recent research has looked at using AI models to detect curlews and curlew chicks from monitoring data. This matters because conservation teams can collect large amounts of imagery and video, but reviewing that material manually is slow.
AI can help by flagging possible detections, reducing the time needed to process data and helping teams respond more quickly.
In future, this type of approach could become increasingly useful when combined with drone imagery, thermal cameras, fixed cameras and remote monitoring systems.
A practical future workflow could look like this:
Thermal drone surveys identify possible bird or chick locations.
Visible imagery helps confirm habitat and context.
AI assists with reviewing large volumes of data.
Ecologists verify findings.
Land managers use the information to protect nesting areas or adjust management.
That combination of technology and ecological expertise is where the opportunity lies.
Why this matters for conservation
Curlew conservation is not simply about counting birds.
It is about understanding what is happening on the ground.
Are birds returning to breeding sites?
Are they nesting successfully?
Are chicks surviving?
Are predators affecting outcomes?
Are land management practices helping or harming?
Are certain fields or habitat types performing better than others?
Where should protection efforts be focused?
Better data helps answer those questions.
Thermal drones may support conservation teams by helping them collect information more efficiently and with less physical disturbance than some traditional survey methods.
That information can then support practical conservation decisions.
For example:
A farmer may be advised to delay cutting in a field where breeding activity is confirmed.
A conservation team may focus predator monitoring around key nesting areas.
A land manager may adjust grazing or mowing plans.
A project team may compare results year on year.
A charity may use better evidence to secure funding or report project outcomes.
The drone is not the conservation solution on its own.
It is a tool that helps people make better decisions.
Reducing disturbance should be the priority
Any drone work around wildlife must be carried out responsibly.
Birds can be sensitive to disturbance, especially during the breeding season. Ground-nesting birds may be particularly vulnerable because disturbance can expose eggs or chicks to weather, predators or abandonment risk.
A responsible thermal drone survey should be designed around:
Low disturbance operation
Appropriate flight height
Short survey duration
Experienced pilots
Clear ecological objectives
Suitable weather
Legal compliance
Landowner permission
Ecologist involvement
Clear stop criteria if birds show signs of distress
The goal should never be to fly as close as possible.
The goal is to collect the data needed while minimising impact.
In many cases, the best drone survey is the one that gets the information quickly, quietly and from a sensible distance.
Drones do not replace ecologists
This is important.
A thermal drone can show heat signatures.
It does not automatically understand behaviour, breeding stage, habitat condition, predator pressure, field management or conservation priorities.
That interpretation still needs people.
Experienced ecologists, ornithologists, land managers and conservation organisations understand the species and the landscape. Drone operators bring aircraft, sensors, flight planning, safety and data capture skills.
The best results come when both work together.
A drone pilot working alone may collect interesting footage.
A drone pilot working with an ecologist can support a proper conservation survey.
That difference matters.
Where thermal drone surveys could help
Thermal drone surveys may be useful in several curlew-related conservation settings.
Breeding site surveys
Thermal drones may help identify possible adult birds, nests or chicks across large areas of rough ground, moorland, wet grassland or farmland.
Chick monitoring
Where appropriate and carefully managed, thermal imagery may help teams locate mobile chicks and understand survival.
Habitat management
Drone data can help conservation teams understand how birds are using a landscape and which areas may need protection or management changes.
Farmer and landowner engagement
Clear aerial evidence can help landowners understand where curlew activity is taking place and why certain management decisions may be important.
Predator monitoring support
Thermal drones may also help wider conservation projects understand movement and activity across a site, although predator work must be planned carefully and ethically.
Project reporting
Drone imagery, maps and records can help conservation projects communicate progress to funders, partners and the public.
Challenges and limitations
Thermal drones are useful, but they are not perfect.
There are several limitations to understand.
Vegetation can hide heat signatures
Long grass, rushes, reeds and uneven vegetation can obscure birds or chicks.
Warm ground can reduce contrast
On sunny days, rocks, bare soil, tracks and vegetation can heat up, making it harder to spot wildlife.
False positives are possible
Rabbits, hares, livestock, deer, rocks, warm patches of ground and other objects may be mistaken for target species without careful interpretation.
Weather affects results
Rain, wind, fog and temperature changes can all affect survey quality.
Disturbance must be managed
The drone must not create additional pressure on birds during sensitive breeding periods.
Identification may still need confirmation
A thermal heat signature is not always enough to confirm a curlew. Visual confirmation or ecological interpretation may be needed.
This is why thermal drones should be seen as a powerful support tool, not a guarantee.
What equipment is suitable?
For conservation work, the aircraft and camera need to match the task.
A suitable drone platform may need:
A good quality thermal camera
A stable zoom camera
Accurate positioning
Reliable flight time
Quiet, controlled operation
Good live view for the pilot and observer
Safe return to home features
Accurate logging and data export
Suitability for rural and upland environments
DJI Enterprise aircraft with thermal capability, such as the Matrice 4T or Matrice 4TD, may be relevant for this type of work depending on the project requirements.
For larger or more complex surveys, other DJI Enterprise platforms may also be considered.
The right choice depends on the site, the survey objective, the required data, operating conditions and budget.
A possible curlew survey workflow
A practical workflow might look like this:
1. Define the objective
Is the aim to find adults, chicks, possible nest sites, activity areas or habitat use?
The survey should start with a clear question.
2. Work with an ecologist
The ecological lead should define the timing, sensitivity, target areas and disturbance controls.
3. Plan the flight
The drone pilot plans routes, height, battery use, take-off locations, emergency procedures and data capture.
4. Fly at the right time
The team chooses conditions that give the best thermal contrast while reducing disturbance.
5. Review thermal and visual data
Possible detections are marked, reviewed and compared with habitat and behaviour.
6. Verify carefully
Where necessary, detections are verified by trained observers or follow-up survey methods.
7. Use the findings
The results inform habitat management, landowner advice, predator monitoring, mowing decisions or project reporting.
This is a workflow, not just a flight.
How this could help farmers and land managers
Farmers and land managers are central to curlew conservation.
Many curlews nest on working land. That means conservation has to work alongside farming, grazing, mowing and practical land management.
Thermal drone surveys could help by giving better information about where birds or chicks may be present.
That can support decisions such as:
Adjusting mowing timing
Marking sensitive areas
Planning grazing pressure
Avoiding disturbance at key times
Targeting conservation support
Understanding which fields are most important
Working with advisors and conservation groups
The benefit is that decisions can be based on better evidence.
For a farmer, knowing exactly where sensitive areas are can make conservation action more practical.
How this could help conservation projects
Conservation projects often need to show results.
They need to know whether their work is helping. They need data to report to funders, partners, landowners and communities.
Thermal drones may help projects gather information more efficiently, especially across large or difficult areas.
They may support:
Baseline surveys
Repeat monitoring
Chick survival studies
Habitat use mapping
Evidence for management changes
Public engagement material
Funding reports
Volunteer coordination
Used properly, drone data can make conservation work more visible and measurable.
Why this is relevant to Enterprise UAV
Enterprise UAV supports organisations that want to use drones professionally and responsibly.
That includes commercial survey, inspection, security, construction and environmental workflows.
Conservation and ecology are natural areas where drone technology can provide value, but only when it is used carefully.
For curlew work, the right approach is not simply to send a drone into a field and hope for the best.
The right approach is to design a low-disturbance workflow with clear objectives, suitable equipment, trained pilots and ecological input.
Enterprise UAV can help organisations understand:
Which DJI Enterprise drone may be suitable
What thermal capability is needed
How flight planning should be approached
What training pilots may require
How to capture useful data
How to work safely and responsibly
How drones can support conservation teams
What limitations need to be understood
Final thoughts
Thermal drones could become an important tool in curlew conservation.
They can help survey teams look across large areas, detect heat signatures, reduce time spent searching on foot and support better decision making.
But they must be used responsibly.
Curlews are sensitive, ground-nesting birds. The priority must always be to protect the bird, not just capture the data.
The best results will come from combining drone technology with ecological expertise.
Thermal imaging, visible cameras, AI, careful fieldcraft and good land management all have a part to play.
For curlews, better monitoring could support better protection.
And for conservation teams, drones may offer a practical way to gather the information needed before it is too late.
Speak to Enterprise UAV about conservation drone workflows
If you are working on curlew conservation, ground-nesting bird monitoring, habitat management or environmental surveys, Enterprise UAV can help you explore whether thermal drones could support your project.
We can advise on DJI Enterprise drones, thermal payloads, training, survey planning and responsible drone workflows.
If you have a conservation project or wildlife monitoring requirement, speak to Enterprise UAV about what may be possible.
Contact us: Click here to contact us
FAQs
Can thermal drones find curlews?
Thermal drones may help detect heat signatures from curlews, chicks or other wildlife in suitable conditions. However, detections usually need expert interpretation and verification.
Are thermal drones suitable for curlew conservation?
They can be useful as part of a carefully planned conservation workflow, especially when used with ecological input and low-disturbance methods.
Can drones find curlew chicks?
Thermal drones may help identify possible chick locations, but results depend on timing, vegetation, weather, ground temperature and survey method.
Do drones disturb curlews?
They can if used poorly. Any drone work around breeding birds must be planned to minimise disturbance and should involve suitable expertise and permissions.
What is the best time to use thermal drones for wildlife surveys?
Cooler periods, often early morning, can provide better thermal contrast. The best timing depends on the species, site, weather and survey objective.
Can AI detect curlews?
AI is increasingly being used to help detect wildlife in imagery and video. Recent research has looked specifically at curlew and curlew chick detection using AI monitoring methods.
Do thermal drones replace ecologists?
No. Thermal drones support ecological work, but interpretation and conservation decisions still require experienced people.
What DJI drone is suitable for thermal wildlife surveys?
DJI Enterprise thermal platforms such as the Matrice 4T or Matrice 4TD may be relevant depending on the survey requirement, site and operating conditions.
Can drones be used on protected sites?
Potentially, but permissions, legal requirements, landowner approval and ecological risk must be considered before any drone survey.
Can Enterprise UAV help with conservation drone projects?
Yes. Enterprise UAV can advise on suitable DJI Enterprise equipment, thermal workflows, training and responsible drone survey planning for conservation and environmental monitoring.
Check out the DJI Matrice 4T – click here
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Finding curlews with thermal drones: how UAV technology could support conservation work