SCOTLAND'S GAMEKEEPERS have started their biggest ever conservation project aimed at halting the decline of the nation's vulnerable wading birds.

This year is the Scottish Gamekeepers Association's Year of the Wader and gamekeepers on all grouse moors are getting ready to step up for nature.

Scientific studies by Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust showed waders breed up to three times more successfully on grouse moors, benefiting from legal predator control and habitat management of the staff. Across, Scotland 56% of Curlew and Lapwing have disappeared in 17 years, with Golden Plover dipping 18%.

Officials at the SGA are now asking all grouse keepers to note the numbers of the endangered birds as they go about their daily work. They hope that the data will provide answers as to how conservation work to preserve the birds could be targeted effectively across Scotland.

"Gamekeepers, through their management, have provided the conditions to conserve waders for countless years, at no cost other than their own efforts and care as they go about their daily work.

"However, even on grouse moors, there is a concern at the declines and that is why we are doing this now," said SGA chairman Alex Hogg.

"What we are asking grouse keepers to do is to help us build a detailed map of breeding waders on their ground and create a baseline for future years.

"The birds are coming back now from their wintering grounds so we want people to record the presence of breeding pairs as accurately as they can.

"For those that are really keen or have the time, we would also like to record abundance with surveys just before eggs are hatched around May and again in late June/July when the numbers of fledged chicks can be noted."

Gamekeepers have sought guidance from GWCT on how best to gather the data and will be publishing information to encourage as much engagement as possible.

"Gamekeepers might be active in managing in a way that helps produce wildlife but, due to lack of time or working remotely, are not always the best at recording it." added Mr Hogg.

Acclaimed wildlife photographer Peter Cairns believes it is important for wildlife managers to participate in frontline conservation.

He said: "It's exciting to see SGA encouraging its members to get involved in wader conservation. The amount of ground covered by keepers across Scotland makes them ideally placed to monitor breeding success and to that end, keepers represent a valuable, if largely untapped, conservation resource.

"For too long wildlife management has been a battleground for conflicting conservation interests so this initiative sends out a strong intent on the part of SGA to mobilise their members to demonstrate the massive potential for biodiversity on the ground they manage."

Minister for the environment and climate change Paul Wheelhouse said: "I welcome the Scottish Gamekeepers Association's Year of the Wader conservation project, which will see grouse keepers helping to monitoring the population of waders.

"I hope this and similar work being done to conserve wading birds can inform us of the conservation work required to halt the decline of these important species which can be affected by predation of eggs, for example by foxes or crows, or arising from impacts on habitats either through climate change or the influences of changes in land use."