The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
The unmistakable call of the Curlew was once commonly heard in the Irish countryside, writes Piaras Ó Giobúin. Its lonely cry has been heard by generations of Irish people, inspiring musicians and poets alike. However, we may very well be the last generation to hear the curlew as they return to their breeding grounds in spring. The national breeding population of Irish Curlew has suffered drastically, with the number of breeding pairs reduced by at least 96% since the late 1980s, making the Curlew Ireland’s only bird on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This drastic decline has brought Ireland’s breeding population from approximately 5,000 pairs in the late 1980s to just over 100 pairs today. At a local level this correlates to an estimate of only three nests in the entire Sliabh Aughty range in 2021, with only one known bird fledged. Researchers have estimated that if we do not lend a helping hand the Curlew will become …
Read More »