Almost £1 million has been awarded to support efforts to protect one of Wales' most threatened breeding birds, the curlew, in the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park.

The funding, from the Welsh Government's Nature Networks Fund, will allow the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority to continue its conservation work for a further three years in partnership with the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape.

The investment follows the success of the Curlew Connections Wales project, a three-year programme that has brought together farmers, conservationists, volunteers and researchers to improve understanding of the declining species and help boost breeding success.

Curlews are recognised by their long, down-curved bills and distinctive calls, but their numbers have fallen sharply in recent decades. Conservationists say too few chicks survive to adulthood, making the curlew the bird of highest conservation concern in Wales.

The new project will build on previous work by continuing to improve breeding habitats, monitor nests and predators, and support practical conservation measures across farmland and moorland.

Farmers are expected to remain at the centre of the programme, with specialist advisers working alongside landowners to develop long-term recovery plans. Volunteers will also continue to carry out surveys and collect data to help monitor the birds' progress.

Brad Welch, land use and nature recovery manager at Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority, said the funding would provide "three more years of vital curlew recovery work" across the park.

"Working alongside our partners and the farming and local communities, we can build directly on the strong foundations laid by the Curlew Connections Wales project," he said.

"Protecting this species is a conservation priority for Bannau Brycheiniog and this next phase gives us real confidence for the future of this iconic bird."

The Nature Networks Fund is delivered by the Heritage Fund on behalf of the Welsh Government.