Breeding Curlew in Ireland - Bord na Móna · Dr Anita Donaghy Senior Conservation Officer,...
Transcript of Breeding Curlew in Ireland - Bord na Móna · Dr Anita Donaghy Senior Conservation Officer,...
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Breeding Curlew in Ireland
Dr Anita Donaghy
Senior Conservation Officer, BirdWatch Ireland
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Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata
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82,000 68,000
100…?
Key: Resident, Breeding Season, Non-breeding Season, Passage
EUROPE – 75% OF GLOBAL POPN
22,000
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Autumn/winter passage
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- 43%
+/-
-
-25%
- 78%*
- 20%
- 25%
- 12%
- 22%*
Trends
+/-
- 70%*
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IUCN Red List - Near Threatened Irish Red List
80% of range lost in 40 years
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UK & Ireland Eurasian Curlew Planning Workshop February 2014
“...Agreement that the unique
combination of the curlew’s global
conservation status (IUCN Globally
Near Threatened), the importance of
Britain and Ireland’s breeding
population (equating to 16-24% of the
global total) and the magnitude of the
declines makes the curlew the highest
priority breeding bird species in Britain
and Ireland”
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Curlew breeding season April May June
July
Nests │ Chicks │ Fledglings
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Habitat Preferences
• Curlew nest on the ground.
• Prefer open landscapes.
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Semi natural vegetation
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• Soft mud for probing.
• Shallow pools rich in invertebrates, important for chick feeding.
High water table
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Why are the declines so severe?
• Loss and fragmentation of Curlew breeding habitat.
• Agricultural intensification of upland unimproved rushy pastures and lowland wet grasslands.
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Subsequent predation
• Studies in the UK and Ireland have shown unsustainable levels of predation of nests and young.
% Nests % Chicks
Total Mammals 96 14
Total Birds 4 68
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Total Farm land
Bog BnM
No of pairs
74 49 20 5
% of Total
66 27 7
2014 Curlew records
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Bogs as Curlew habitat
• Bogs are a crucially important habitat for the remaining Curlew population.
• Almost one third of known pairs nest on bogs.
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• In the last 40 years, bog habitats have retained breeding Curlew better than farmland habitats.
• Breeding success is slightly higher on bogs than on farmland.
• Observations of Curlew breeding on nearby farmland and using cutaways for chick rearing and feeding
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Cutaways/Remnant bogs
• Intact bogs provide the best Curlew habitat.
• Some of the prime bog sites for Curlew, e.g. Clara Bog, were transferred to NWPS by Bord na Móna for conservation in the 1980s and 1990s.
• However, cutaways and remnant raised bogs can also provide very good habitat for Curlew.
“Peatland habitats may increasingly become important refuges in areas where farmland no longer provides suitable breeding habitat.” AEWA
INTERNATIONAL SINGLE SPECIES ACTION PLAN FOR THE CONSERVATION OF THE EURASIAN CURLEW
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Bord na Móna
• Objective 2: To survey and identify potential biodiversity areas within Bord na Móna bogs.
• Objective 3: To promote and develop best practice […] and enhance biodiversity.
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• Bord na Móna have already funded several surveys of their landholdings for breeding waders, including Curlew.
• A number of pairs have been recorded – clearly an important resource.
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Bord na Móna – BWI Curlew Conservation
Programme Phase I 2015
• To identify and survey Bord na Móna peatland
sites where breeding Curlew have been previously recorded.
• Develop management recommendations for each site to enhance habitats for breeding Curlew
• Develop a methodology to identify other potentially suitable Bord na Móna sites for breeding Curlew.
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At least 5 pairs on Bord na Móna land in 2014 Probably at least another 5 pairs. Possibly 13% of the national population on just 8 sites.
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• Bogs can be degraded as breeding habitat for Curlew by activities such as drainage, unregulated peat extraction, overgrazing and burning.
• Areas, such as those owned by Bord na Móna, where these activities can be controlled or prevented are extremely important.
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Management plans
• Even where some modification has occurred, eg drainage ditches installed, habitat can be improved by raising water levels through ditch blocking and dam construction.
• Other measures such as scrub clearance near wetland areas could remove habitat for predators and improve breeding success.
• Appropriate grazing regimes may further improve some habitats.
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In summary
• Breeding Curlew are one of the highest conservation priorities in Ireland.
• A significant proportion are nesting on Bord na Móna lands; possibly the single most important landholder for breeding Curlew.
• The BnM commitment to a Conservation Programme for Curlew with BWI is a significant step forward in saving the species from extinction.
• We look forward to the findings of the 2015 survey and working more closely to conserve these pairs through management planning and trialling habitat management.
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THANK YOU