ONE of Britain’s best-loved birds – whose breeding grounds include the moors above Keighley and Oxenhope – is facing an unprecedented population crisis, a charity has warned. Loss of habitat, modern farming practices, climate change and rising numbers of predators are all endangering the existence of the curlew. Since 1970, the breeding population has declined nationally by over 60 per cent. The distinctive birds are now considered one of the highest-priority species for conservation. A newly-formed charity, Curlew Action, says there is still plenty that can be done to protect the birds. But it says that without action, scientists estimate there could be regional and even country-level extinctions in the next decade.