Curlew numbers in areas of Northern Ireland show ‘incredible improvement’

An “incredible improvement” in curlew numbers in Northern Ireland is being celebrated.

The distinctive birds, with their long bills and hauntings calls, were once common in the region but had declined by almost 82% since 1987 to just 150 breeding pairs and were described as facing the threat of extinction.

The RSPB NI said the efforts of dedicated staff and local farmers working in partnership through the Curlew LIFE project meant numbers are increasing again.

The UK-wide four-year project, funded by the European Commission LIFE Programme, is focusing on the last remaining core areas for curlews in Northern Ireland around the Antrim Plateau and on Upper and Lower Lough Erne.

The RSPB said the Antrim Plateau this season saw the breeding population increase from 37 pairs last year to 52 pairs this year.

Katie Gibb, RSPB NI’s conservation officer for the Antrim Plateau, said this success is the accumulation of four years of dedicated conservation work and commitment from their team and farming partners.“Over the course of the Curlew LIFE project, we’ve seen 202 chicks fledge, some of which have already started to return to the breeding population, resulting in a 40% increase in pairs in just one year,” she said.

“This is an incredible improvement compared to the 116 fledglings recorded between 2011 and 2020. It gives us real hope, allowing us to shift our focus from preventing extinction to managing a recovering population.

“Through hands-on efforts such as nest protection fences, habitat management and predator control, we’ve created conditions needed for the curlew population to thrive.”On the Lower Lough Erne Islands Reserve, a steady 43 breeding pairs of curlew were recorded again this year across 200 hectares of lowland wet grassland.

However, 20 fledglings were recorded, making this the most successful breeding season of the four-year LIFE Project on the reserve.

One of the key highlights is the transformation of Trasna Island, funded primarily by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Curlew LIFE project, which now hosts 19 breeding pairs of waders, including the first curlew to fledge on the island in living memory.

Amy Burns, RSPB NI’s Lower Lough Erne Reserves manager, said: “The success across the islands on Lower Lough Erne is a testament to the incredible work of our reserve team.“It’s rewarding to see all our efforts pay off with an increase in breeding pairs over the project and such strong fledging success recorded this year.

“The increase in fledglings shows that the habitat improvements we’ve made, particularly the wet feature creation, are making a real difference for the curlew.”