CRUDWELL has been chosen as one of the pilot areas for a national survey to gauge the falling numbers of lapwings.

Eagle-eyed villagers have been asked to be on the lookout for the bird, which is about the size of an A4 sheet of paper. It nests on the ground and is commonly found in farmland.

Nationally, numbers have fallen by about half in the last ten years, to the point where the birds are almost extinct in some counties, including Cornwall.

The Royal Society For The Protection of Birds is holding the pilot surveys in Crudwell and Aldbourne, near Marlborough.

Questionnaires have been distributed to the villages' post offices.

"These are two areas in which we know very little about the amount of lapwings they have," said Emma Foulger, the RSPB's Wiltshire community officer.

She said she is particularly keen to hear from farmers, so that she can give advice on how best to preserve the bird.

The lapwing, also known as pewit because of the sound it makes, feeds on worms and other insects.

It has a crest of long feathers, with a dark green back that can appear black from a distance, and a white belly.

For a survey form call (01722) 427233.