Dog-walkers lacing up their outdoor footwear for a stroll in the Yorkshire Dales over the coming months have been urged to keep their pets under control to protect ground nesting birds.

The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) has issued the advice as the birds start to incubate eggs and raise their young.

A free leaflet has been produced for walkers showing the five main species of birds to help walkers know what to look for.

Dog walkers are asked to ensure their pets do not disturb any birds they come across.

Alan Hulme, the YDNPA's ranger services manager, said that since the Countryside and Rights of Way Act in 2005, people no longer were restricted to paths and could walk on open land.

"This has meant that parts of the national park that were previously no-go areas for visitors – including some used by ground nesting birds – are now seeing more humans," he said.

He added that disturbance to a nest could cause adult birds to flee, leaving eggs to get cold or leaving newly-born hatchlings exposed to the elements and predators.

An average of 7.72 million day visitors come to the Dales every year.