Some of the most familiar wading birds flocking to UK estuaries in winter have seen major declines in the past decade, conservationists have warned.

The latest results from the Wetland Bird Survey have revealed that ringed plovers, redshanks, dunlin, curlew and oystercatchers, which are all among the eight most abundant winter wading bird species in the UK, have all seen populations drop significantly.

Ringed plovers have suffered declines of almost two-fifths (39 per cent) in 10 years, while redshank numbers fell by more than a quarter (26 per cent) and the situation for dunlin is almost as bad, with declines of 23 per cent.

Curlew numbers have fallen 17 per cent and oystercatcher numbers are down 15 per cent in the 10 years to June 2012, according to the Wetland Bird Survey, which involves data collected by thousands of volunteers.

The most abundant waders found on UK estuaries in winter are dunlin, with an estimated 350,000 birds, oystercatcher, with around 320,000 individuals, and knot, with 320,000 birds. Knots have also seen numbers decline, by seven per cent in 10 years.

But there is good news for species that were relatively scarce a few decades ago, with avocet numbers rising by 61 per cent in a decade and black-tailed godwits increasing by 57 per cent.

Wildlife experts said the reasons for the declines of some of the most abundant wintering waders on UK estuaries were not fully understood, but it was likely to be due to a combination of factors.

Waterbird counts from across northwest Europe show that species are shifting northeastwards in response to milder winters.

Winter population declines may also be due to fewer young waders being successfully bred and reared in the Arctic, due to rapid warming.