The species is susceptible to avian influenza so may be threatened by future outbreaks of the virus (Melville and Shortridge 2006). The most relevant threats within UAE are changes in coastal land-use and the possibility of oil pollution, but the severity of these threats towards this species is unknown.

Changes in coastal land-use and the possibility of oil pollution could affect this species in UAE, but the severity of these threats towards this species is unknown.Individuals of this species that over-winter in UAE are also impacted by a range of threats outside of the country (e.g. on their breeding ground). The species is threatened by the loss and fragmentation of moorland habitats as a result of afforestation (del Hoyo et al. 1996, Johnsgard 1981) and of marginal grassland habitats as a result of agricultural intensification and improvement (Johnsgard 1981,Baines 1988,;del Hoyo;et al.;1996) (e.g. drainage, inorganic fertilisation and reseeding) (Baines 1988). The species also suffers from high egg and chick mortalities due to agricultural practices (e.g. Tuellinghoff and Bergmann 1993, Grant 1997, Fisher and Walker 2015), human disturbance (Boschert and Rupp 1993) and higher predation rates if nesting on improved grasslands or in fragmented landscapes (del Hoyo et al. 1996, Valkama and Korpimäki 1999, Douglas et al. 2014). Conversely, some populations have declined following abandonment of farmland and subsequent increases in the height of vegetation (Broyer and Roche 1991), rendering large areas unsuitable for nesting. Climate change is projected to have a large negative impact on this species during the breeding season (Huntley et al. 2007, Renwick et al.;2012). Expansion of renewable energy projects including wind farms can also have an impact, although more studies are required (Pearce-Higgins et al. 2009). The species has also suffered population declines as a result of hunting (Johnsgard 1981), and is susceptible to avian influenza so may be threatened by future outbreaks of the virus (Melville and Shortridge 2006).

The most relevant threats within UAE are changes in coastal land-use and the possibility of oil pollution, but the severity of these threats towards this species is unknown. The species is susceptible to avian influenza, so may be threatened by future outbreaks of the virus (Melville and Shortridge 2006), and climate change is a potential future threat.

Within the UAE, the main threats to the species are likely to be due to coastal land use changes and potentially from oil spills, but the severity of these threats on the species there are uncertain.Individuals that visit the UAE are also impacted upon by a range of threats outside of the country. Threats on the breeding grounds include oil and gas exploration and associated infrastructure development, legal subsistence harvesting and illegal hunting, and increases in predator numbers (Brown et al. 2014). Climate change has the potential to affect vegetation and the extent of suitable breeding habitat (P. Battley in litt. 2016). The species is also threatened by the degradation of stopover and non-breeding sites due to land reclamation, shellfisheries, pollution, human disturbance, reduced river flows,;and in some areas the invasion of mudflats and coastal saltmarshes by mangroves (owing to sea-level rise and increased sedimentation and nutrient loads at the coast from uncontrolled development and soil erosion in upstream catchment areas) (del Hoyo;et al.;1996, Kelin and Qiang 2006, Straw and Saintilan 2006, Melville;et al.;2016).;Anthropogenic nutrient enrichment of wetland areas at non-breeding sites can also cause cyanobacterium blooms that may impact this species's prey species (Estrella;et al.;2011).;The species has also been susceptible to avian influenza in the past so may be threatened by future outbreaks of the virus (Melville and Shortridge 2006).

Within the UAE, the main threats to this species may be from changes in coastal land-use, and potentially oil pollution; but the severity of such threats are uncertain.Given knowledge of the species's global status, a range of other threats outside of the UAE could be impacting individuals that visit the country. Loss of nesting habitat owing to wetland drainage and agricultural intensification, and conversely abandonment in some parts of the range, are the most significant threats (Mischenko 2008,;Kentie et al. 2013). Detrimental activities include the conversion of wet meadows to arable land and loss of habitat to development (Tucker and Heath 1994), increased fertilisation and drainage of grassland;(Roodbergen and Teunissen 2014), earlier and more frequent cutting as farmers adapt to climate change (Kleijn;et al.;2010), spring burning and scrub encroachment (A. Mischenko;in litt.;2007);and possibly disturbance by walkers (Holm and Laursen 2009).;On intensively grazed pastures, trampling is a major cause of nest loss, and a switch to monoculture on arable land reduces the supply of insects on which the species feeds (Kentie;et al. 2013).;In some areas, grassland turnover from 'natural, flower-rich, diverse and wet' to silage monoculture leads to a loss of nests with eggs and chicks due to mowing and to starvation of chicks due to a lack of food (Schekkerman and Beintema 2007).;A study in the central regions of European Russia suggests that a significant decline in spring flood levels during the last two decades, as a result climate change, has strengthened the negative impact of agricultural abandonment (A. Mischenko in litt. 2016).;Habitat fragmentation may cause problems for this species, which nests in dispersed colonies and sub-colonies as protection against predators, hence productivity may be low in such areas. Indeed, sink locations have been documented for the species, where birds recruited from good quality habitat disperse to low quality habitats (often suffering high predation), effectively losing these individuals to the population. This has repercussions for the effectiveness of agri-environment measures (Kentie;et al. 2015, Leigh;et al. 2017). There is a marked decrease in the density of breeding birds near to roads, particularly those with heavy traffic (van der Zande;et al.;1980, Reijnen;et al. 1996). Natal philopatry means that a decrease in local recruitment could prove catastrophic for individual breeding sites (Kruk;et al.;1998).Threats on migration include pollution, human disturbance, habitat reclamation for tidal energy plants, aquaculture ponds, land conversion for agriculture, urban expansion and agricultural intensification at rice paddies.;Hunting has been another significant threat, although France has now followed the rest of the European Union (EU) in implementing a five-year ban on hunting of the species, beginning in 2008 (I. Burfield in litt. 2008), which was extended in 2013 for a further five years. Outside the EU, hunting is known to occur, but its scale and impact is unknown. Water pollution is probably an issue in parts of the species's range (H. Hötker in litt. 2005), although the effects of the release of some pollutants, like untreated sewage, on the species may be minor as long as there are several alternative prey present at a site (Alves et al. 2012).

The most relevant threats within the UAE are changes in land-use and the possibility of oil pollution, but the severity of these threats towards this species is unknown. Individuals that visit the UAE will also be impacted by a range of threats that occur outside of the country:Declines noted in breeding populations of Europe are probably chiefly due to habitat changes, especially drainage (BirdLife International 2015). Low water levels shorten the period of food availability in pastures, due to the lower penetrability of soil, and thereby strongly influence the length of the breeding season (BirdLife International 2015). Changes in habitat structure and food abundance, which already negatively affect this (and many other) species might also lead to increased predation risks for nestlings (BirdLife International 2015). Estimated 1,500,000 birds are hunted annually in Europe (Van Gils;et al. 2015).

Its crepuscular/nocturnal habits mean it is likely not greatly threatened by human activity (Symes et al. 2015). However, given the suspected population declines there must be an unknown threat having an impact on the UAE population, unless the population has moved out of the country. Potential threats include development of montane areas, reduced water availability in some areas with fewer small ponds in montane areas, and the presence of feral dogs (e.g. at Jebel Hafeet).

In UAE this species is under threat from anthropogenic disturbance and loss of habitat due to land-use changes (Aspinall 1996, Symes et al. 2015). Feral dogs may also be a potential threat.

Across its range, the species suffers from threats that could impact individuals that pass through or overwinter in UAE. These threats include oil and petroleum pollution (del Hoyo et al. 1996, Grishanov 2006), habitat degradation and loss due to agricultural drainage schemes (Taylor and van Perlo 1998), wetland drainage, changing wetland management practices and the burning and mowing of reeds (Grishanov 2006). The species is often drowned in freshwater fishing nets with mesh sizes greater than 5 cm (Quan et al. 2002). It is also susceptible to avian influenza, so may be threatened by future outbreaks of the virus (Melville and Shortridge 2006). Hunting may also impact this species (del Hoyo et al. 1996, e.g. in Iran; Balmaki and Barati 2006). Of these threats, some such as changing land-use and oil pollution may also have impacts on the species within the UAE, particularly at the coast.

The main threat to this species within UAE is likely to be from land-use changes. Globally the use of pesticides has been noted as a possible threat too, although this is unlikely to impact individuals in the UAE. The species is also susceptible to avian influenza (Melville and Shortridge 2006, Gaidet;et al.;2007) and avian botulism, so may be threatened by future outbreaks of these diseases (Galvin;et al.;1985).