This species has a large range, with an estimated global Extent of Occurrence of 10,000,000 km². It has a large global population estimated to be 490,000-660,000 individuals¹. The European population (220,000-360,000 pairs, occupying 50-74% of the global breeding range) has declined during 1990-2000 (including key populations in the United Kingdom, European Russia and Finland)², but there is no evidence of declines in Asia, where populations appear to be stable^3,4,5. The species is therefore not believed to meet the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e. declining more than 30% in ten years or three generations).