Decades of conservation plans and millions of euros in subsidies have failed to prevent the decline of the black-tailed godwit, according to Dutch government auditors. Farmers received €33.4m in 2020 for measures to protect meadow birds such as the godwit, known as ‘grutto’ in Dutch, up from €4.2m in 2001. The national audit office singled out the black-tailed godwit because …
