Once a familiar sight in Belgian meadows and fields, the Northern Lapwing has experienced a significant decline in recent decades. However, a pilot project at the nature reserve at ZOO Planckendael, just north of Brussels, promises to offer a new future for these meadow and farmland birds. Under the initiative, Lapwing eggs deemed at risk of destruction are transferred to the zoo and placed in an incubator. Frédéric Verstappen, Curator of Birds at ZOO Planckendael, told this site: “If protecting them on-site is impossible, the eggs are moved to the safety of ZOO Planckendael to continue incubating in an incubator.” The knowledge gained can subsequently be applied to other threatened meadow and farmland birds.