It has been a record-breaking year for curlew with 80 new fledging chicks recorded in Antrim and Fermanagh.
With just 200 breeding pairs of the once thriving species left in Northern Ireland, the rare groundnesting birds have been given a helping hand by conservationists and farmers.
RSPB NI revealed the latest results of ongoing efforts to save the species from extinction, saying it was down to “tireless habitat management by farmers and landowners” in Glenwherry and Lower Lough Erne Reserve.
Read more: NI species 'under threat' list sees more than 100 animals added
The charity is working in partnership with local farmers to protect the iconic species on their land and ensuring land managers have the right advice and support to farm in nature friendly ways.
RSPB NI conservation officer, Katie Gibb, has been working to support the species on the Antrim Plateau.
She said: “With the addition of a few pairs turning up with ‘surprise’ chicks, we followed 28 broods of curlew chicks, of these an unheard of 22 made it to fledge. This is a massive increase from the 14 broods fledging last season.
“However, it was the number of individual chicks that made it to fledge that has put this season over and above anything that we ever thought was possible. This year we had an amazing count of 69 fledglings.”
The Eurasian curlew is a much-loved species in Northern Ireland.
Its call and striking silhouette are known to many as an iconic part of our upland farmland, lowland wetlands, and coastal areas. But the remarkable birds are in real trouble with their population declining by 82% since 1987 due to low breeding productivity caused by habitat loss and degradation, as well as loss of eggs and chicks to predation.
Without intervention, the species is predicted to be extinct in Northern Ireland within the next 10 years.
But RSPB believe these “amazing results have come just in time” adding the “results give fresh hope that improved numbers of breeding pairs will return to the site in future years”.
“It really is a case of every chick counts when it comes to curlew in Northern Ireland,” added Katie.
“In the next five years we could have over 30 new pairs return to the area to breed, which would be a massive and healthy influx of young, fertile, new genetics for this population.
“The number of chicks we have seen fledge this year is not just heartening, it is unequivocable proof that conservation and landscape-scale nature protection works and should remain a priority in tackling the biodiversity crisis.”
Targeted projects on site under the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs’ Environmental Farming Scheme group option allows farmers to implement nature-friendly farming principles on their land.
Options like this allow knowledge sharing, peer support and encourage a landscape scale approach to conservation, as well as support from projects such as Curlews in Crisis; a four-year LIFE Nature project co-funded by the EU LIFE programme, Northern Ireland Environment Agency and other statutory bodies and local partners across the UK.
In Co Fermanagh, RSPB NI recorded further encouraging statistics on Lower Lough Erne, which supports critical populations of breeding waders.
Amy Burns, Estate Manager for RSPB NI on Lower Lough Erne Islands Reserve, said: “A total of 23 pairs of curlew were recorded hatching young this season in this area, with 18 nests located, 17 of which successfully hatched full clutches.
“We had an unbelievable four nests synchronously hatching on one island on the same day in May. We utilise remote camera technology to give us a unique glimpse into the life of curlew on the islands.
“We’ve been able to capture images and videos of young chicks, adults and fledglings as well as thousands of selfies of curious highland cows.
“We believe the 11 recorded fledglings this season may only be a proportion of the overall number which could have fledged from our reserve this year.”
READ NEXT:
- Curlews and corncrakes at risk of extinction while puffins in peril
- Tyrone goldmine protest brings families over border as Galantas eyes up Leitrim
- New air pollution site reveals the toxins outside your front door
- DAERA facing legal action over gas caverns near Game of Thrones site
- 'Badgers should be vaccinated for bovine TB not killed'
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here. To sign up to our FREE newsletters, see here.
