Ireland's Birds doing worse than ever before

OpenYourEyes

The new Red/Amber/Green Lists have just been published - red being the species of high conservation concern, amber being medium conservation concern, and green are species that are doing ok.

In short, Irish birds have never been doing worse! More species on the red list than ever before including loads of farmland birds and ground-nesting species, a few seabirds and raptors, and lots of our wintering waterbirds too.

https://birdwatchireland.ie/irish-birds-are-faring-worse-than-ever-before/


Red List




Amber List

fryup

well that's depressing reading

in particular this:

The plight of our breeding Curlews is well documented and, with only 150 pairs remaining, their fate is uncertain, despite concerted conservation efforts

OpenYourEyes

See below an editorial in the Irish Examiner:

https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/commentanalysis/arid-40266971.html?fbclid=IwAR1v4-POWNwF_Gj9d5ryyn2DK7lggSXpUbrckeEhJ_7a5q_kcG-3BMNeShQ

The BoCCI traffic-light threat code system has revealed that a further 79 species, or 37% of the Irish total, are on the amber list, meaning that they are significantly threatened.

As a conservationist, I have to say that these figures are both shameful and terrifying.

What’s more, since the previous BoCCI assessment in just 2014, the number of red-listed bird species in Ireland has increased by 46%. The conservation status of Irish wildlife is deteriorating at a rapid pace.

This simply isn’t good enough.

Del.Monte

Bearded Tits and Pied Flycatchers on the Irish list of concern?

fiacha

Surprised to see Grey Wagtail on there. I see them regularily on the Royal Canal and Tolka river local to me. They are also present in my estate, often seen picking through the moss on roofs / gutters.

Is their decline linked to decline in water quality and invertebrates ?

embraer170

Birds need hedgerow and mature trees.

We are destroying bird habitat faster the rainforest is being destroyed in Brazil (at least in % terms).

Around my area in Kerry, the great majority of roadside hedgerow has been destroyed over the past few years. The hedgerow inside farms is not doing better either with farmers replacing natural hedges with ridiculous wire fences (I am sure farmers have their reasons).

Mature trees are also under constant and never-ending attack: roadside safety cuts, ESB line trimming, cut for firewood, etc. etc. For example, I recently drove along the N72/N25 between Cappoquin and Dungargan. 100s of majestic mature trees (probably 50+ years) lying on their side over a 20km stretch.

OpenYourEyes

Del.Monte wrote: »

Bearded Tits and Pied Flycatchers on the Irish list of concern?

For Bearded Tit it's because of unfavourable conservation status at European level. For Pied Flycatcher its because it's a 'breeding rarity' (Which Bearded Tit is here too). So, both are rare here and only breed at a few sites max and are therefore vulnerable to extinction. It's not to say that we should spend the same amount of money effort on conservation for them as we should the Curlew, Grey Partridge, Barn Owl etc though!

OpenYourEyes

fiacha wrote: »

Surprised to see Grey Wagtail on there. I see them regularily on the Royal Canal and Tolka river local to me. They are also present in my estate, often seen picking through the moss on roofs / gutters.

Is their decline linked to decline in water quality and invertebrates ?

I suspect it's both those things, as well as the fact that harsh/cold winters can really reduce their numbers very drastically and it takes a few good breeding seasons to bounce back. They met the criteria for the red list because over severe (>50%) breeding population decline over 25 years (short-term).

OpenYourEyes

embraer170 wrote: »

Birds need hedgerow and mature trees.

We are destroying bird habitat faster the rainforest is being destroyed in Brazil (at least in % terms).

Around my area in Kerry, the great majority of roadside hedgerow has been destroyed over the past few years. The hedgerow inside farms is not doing better either with farmers replacing natural hedges with ridiculous wire fences (I am sure farmers have their reasons).

Mature trees are also under constant and never-ending attack: roadside safety cuts, ESB line trimming, cut for firewood, etc. etc. For example, I recently drove along the N72/N25 between Cappoquin and Dungargan. 100s of majestic mature trees (probably 50+ years) lying on their side over a 20km stretch.

What you're saying isn't wrong, and few things make my blood boil like seeing hedgerows being butchered unnecessarily, but it's important to acknowledge too that hedgerow management and ESB works etc have cause little or no species to make it onto the red or amber lists above. We shouldn't lose sight of the bigger issues, that are unfortunately much more complicated to try and rectify.

athlone573

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

What you're saying isn't wrong, and few things make my blood boil like seeing hedgerows being butchered unnecessarily, but it's important to acknowledge too that hedgerow management and ESB works etc have cause little or no species to make it onto the red or amber lists above. We shouldn't lose sight of the bigger issues, that are unfortunately much more complicated to try and rectify.

What would the main issues be? Climate change, habitat loss /change of farming practices (insecticides or other poisons)? Upland burnings?

We've had a few new arrivals in recent decades not to forget such as egret and woodpecker.

Birdnuts

athlone573 wrote: »

What would the main issues be? Climate change, habitat loss /change of farming practices (insecticides or other poisons)? Upland burnings?

We've had a few new arrivals in recent decades not to forget such as egret and woodpecker.

The activities and policies pursued by state and semi state agencies such as the OPW,Teagasc, Bord Na Mona etc. are big factors is this sorry state of affairs

slipperyox

Where is this data obtained from?

Del.Monte

Birdnuts wrote: »

The activities and policies pursued by state and semi state agencies such as the OPW,Teagasc, Bord Na Mona etc. are big factors is this sorry state of affairs

Don't forget Coras Iompair Eireann and their scorched earth policy which is being implemented up and down the railway network at what must be an enormous financial as well as environmental cost.

Stihl waters

Birdnuts wrote: »

The activities and policies pursued by state and semi state agencies such as the OPW,Teagasc, Bord Na Mona etc. are big factors is this sorry state of affairs

Del.Monte wrote: »

Don't forget Coras Iompair Eireann and their scorched earth policy which is being implemented up and down the railway network at what must be an enormous financial as well as environmental cost.

I agree with the sentiment but all these state agencies account for very little land mass in the grand scheme of things, while they do seem to obliterate any natural habitat in the name of health and safety the problem is not entirely at their door.
I'm surprised in reading this thread that farmers haven't been mentioned more (I'm from a farming background) and in my opinion farmers who were once protectors of land who had no choice but to work with what they had are now the number 1 threat to wildlife in Ireland with housing and flood control a distant second
In the course of my work every day I cover hundreds of kilometres and am in despair as to what our farming community are doing to our wonderful countryside, spreading slurry openly beside open water courses (beside the motorway in crusheen yesterday) and outside of restrictions, cutting down and bull dozing any natural form of cover and habitat that's remaining on their farm, clearing acres of natural scrub land for grazing and destroying any hedges and earthen moots to make it easier to herd and move cattle
I travelled the boyle to roscommon road recently and saw hundreds of mature trees knocked and cut and stacked into blocks with a sign up firewood for sale, it was nothing short of scandalous what that man was doing to his land to make a few euro, they can seemingly act without fear or prosecution when it comes to farming
Now I don't fully blame the farming community (myself included) with what is happening, teagasc ifa and European policy has brought us to where we are today, we have schemes where we leave some of our land idle and plant wild flowers and the like but it's a box ticking exercise, no enforcement and no interest in doing it right from individuals who know they'll be given a slap on the wrist if they do get an inspection
Until we have schemes where farmers are all paid to plant native cover, hedging and trees on at least 5 to 10 percent of their land we are looking at a natural disaster for wildlife, and farmers will have to be paid to give their land back to nature as we seem not to care how much it will cost to tear it all apart to make grass there will meet a lot of resistance from farmers who won't see a point in doing good for the land they were supposed to protect
As it stands this very morning on my walk over fanore overlooking the beautiful Aran islands and galway bay theres turf cutting and land clearance on a grand scale and I didn't have to travel beyond my 5 kilometres to see it
I myself have planted various natural plants trees and hedgerows on over 10 percent of my land, I have rented the rest to a local farmer to pay for some of it, but my efforts are minuscule in what needs to be a country wide effort from all land owners who should set aside financial incentives and do something just for the good of it, too little too late I'm afraid

jackboy

Stihl waters wrote: »

As it stands this very morning on my walk over fanore overlooking the beautiful Aran islands and galway bay theres turf cutting and land clearance on a grand scale and I didn't have to travel beyond my 5 kilometres to see it
I myself have planted various natural plants trees and hedgerows on over 10 percent of my land, I have rented the rest to a local farmer to pay for some of it, but my efforts are minuscule in what needs to be a country wide effort from all land owners who should set aside financial incentives and do something just for the good of it, too little too late I'm afraid

Just after the Clarecastle roundabout on the road to Limerick, there is a massive construction project going on beside the river. It looks like a massive metal barrier is being constructed to stop the river flooding into the surrounding floodplain. This must be an extremely important habitat for birds. Why would such huge money and resources be spent to destroy a habitat, can’t be much gain for anyone in it.

Stihl waters

jackboy wrote: »

Just after the Clarecastle roundabout on the road to Limerick, there is a massive construction project going on beside the river. It looks like a massive metal barrier is being constructed to stop the river flooding into the surrounding floodplain. This must be an extremely important habitat for birds. Why would such huge money and resources be spent to destroy a habitat, can’t be much gain for anyone in it.

Because we build on flood planes around ennis, ennis is an island (inis) and has massive flood plains all around, they even want to build apartments beside the post office, that's a flood plain which has many different types of wildlife on it and they still want to build on it, this is the policy from the top down, it's like fighting a losing battle

whisky_galore

Walked one of these new fangled greenways the other week that had the banks skinned of vegetation recently.
Another portion that the council are working at similarly skinned to the bone.
So much for being "green".

Also theres a trend of bulldozing hedgerows in front of houses and replacing them with fences, the precast concrete faux timber fence is popular. The relentless pursuit of 'tidying' everything.
They're getting it from all sides; farmers, property owners, the state, councils and wrong headed development. It's a wonder we have any wildlife at all.

jackboy

Even the Green Party have turned their backs on the environment and habitats in favour of waffling about carbon taxes and cycle lanes. 90% of individuals who would have been interested in protecting the environment and habitats are now gone down that rabbit hole too. Protecting habitats and birds is not fashionable at the moment. Things are very bleak for the near future at least.

magicbastarder

well, they've doubled the budget of the NPWS, announced a new wildlife crime unit, and started a major program to rewet bogs (ignoring carbon related stuff)

for a party that everyone seems to think is incompetent, they seem to be achieving more change than either of their two senior coalition partners.

embraer170

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

What you're saying isn't wrong, and few things make my blood boil like seeing hedgerows being butchered unnecessarily, but it's important to acknowledge too that hedgerow management and ESB works etc have cause little or no species to make it onto the red or amber lists above. We shouldn't lose sight of the bigger issues, that are unfortunately much more complicated to try and rectify.

It might not have have sent the specified listed above to the red/amber lists, but it will be dramatically decreasing the numbers of other species (which could be joining those lists in the coming years).

The attack on hedgerow and mature trees in Ireland is absolutely dramatic. A combination of farmers and County Councils, with no one to place any robust restrictions.

embraer170

whisky_galore wrote: »

Walked one of these new fangled greenways the other week that had the banks skinned of vegetation recently.
Another portion that the council are working at similarly skinned to the bone.
So much for being "green".

Also theres a trend of bulldozing hedgerows in front of houses and replacing them with fences, the precast concrete faux timber fence is popular. The relentless pursuit of 'tidying' everything.

Very good point. In some counties, destroying the hedgerow and creating a roads setback is one of the planning conditions (but I am sure people would do it anyway even if it wasn't).

Absolutely ridiculous.

jackboy

magicbastarder wrote: »

well, they've doubled the budget of the NPWS, announced a new wildlife crime unit, and started a major program to rewet bogs (ignoring carbon related stuff)

for a party that everyone seems to think is incompetent, they seem to be achieving more change than either of their two senior coalition partners.

No credit for announcements. After they achieve these things they can get credit. Hadn’t heard about a wildlife crime unit. I assume that they will be arresting politicians, county councils, developers and the others who are involved in industrial scale destruction of habitats.

embraer170

jackboy wrote: »

No credit for announcements. After they achieve these things they can get credit. Hadn’t heard about a wildlife crime unit. I assume that they will be arresting politicians, county councils, developers and the others who are involved in industrial scale destruction of habitats.

I had a recent interaction with the NPWS following the destructions of 30+ mature trees during nesting in a town near me. I got an absolute joke of a response.

whisky_galore

embraer170 wrote: »

Very good point. In some counties, destroying the hedgerow and creating a roads setback is one of the planning conditions (but I am sure people would do it anyway even if it wasn't).

Absolutely ridiculous.

These are existing houses that have been around for many years, clearing the hedges so that it now "looks good" from the road.

slipperyox

slipperyox wrote: »

Where is this data obtained from?

its ok found it.

embraer170

whisky_galore wrote: »

These are existing houses that have been around for many years, clearing the hedges so that it now "looks good" from the road.

That's true. There has been a lot more of that since COVID. Probably people with nothing else to do.

kildare lad

fiacha wrote: »

Surprised to see Grey Wagtail on there. I see them regularily on the Royal Canal and Tolka river local to me. They are also present in my estate, often seen picking through the moss on roofs / gutters.

Is their decline linked to decline in water quality and invertebrates ?

I'm surprised as well , I see them regularly along the canal

kildare lad

Birdnuts wrote: »

The activities and policies pursued by state and semi state agencies such as the OPW,Teagasc, Bord Na Mona etc. are big factors is this sorry state of affairs

Don't worry , once the government bring in this new carbon tax , wildlife will start miraculously bouncing back .

You could add waterways Ireland to that list aswell . They're non stop up and down the canals all summer, cutting weeds that the fish spawn in , cutting grass non stop in case it grows and cuttting down reed buntings all along the bank that ducks and moorhens nest and hide in . Funnily enough when I drove past the travellers site in ballyfermot the other day , the canal that runs along the back of it hadn't been touched , Whereas in my area it's been butchered all the way along . And now theres gonna tarmac a cycle lane all along the grand canal that no one wants except cyclists.

whisky_galore

More importance is placed on the countryside serving as a playground for humans than a habitat for wildlife.

vistafinder

Same thing happening here in the South West since the milk quota went. And the latest thing here too is long stretches of mature hedge rows being wiped.

Its sad to say but we are just going to have to watch it all disappear. There will be no real change until it hits rock bottom. Then it will be too late.

Modern values have changed.

But it dose not mean some of us that are able to can't do our own bit where ever possible.
I have a very small bit of ground to use. Planting as much native tree as possible wild patches left go, putting in a few small ponds but it's worth to see and hear all the life around the place.
It's all I can do.

Money can't buy that.

Thelonious Monk

The worst thing is it barely makes the news. Realistically in 10 years time when we've destroyed even more of the tiny fragments of nature left on the island there'll be even fewer birds
We should be CPOing land and allowing wildlife corridors throughout the country to form and just left to do their own thing.
Instead all we do is try and milk money ever more intensively from every patch of land.

whisky_galore

whisky_galore wrote: »

More importance is placed on the countryside serving as a playground for humans than a habitat for wildlife.

Very well put. I see systematic destruction of hedgerows along the greenways in West mayo, absolutely unnecessary in my opinion. Its as if the council are terrified of a lawsuit where some child has her leg scratched by a briar.
Also, check out the disaster zones between Newport, Westport, Castlebar, Breaffy and Turlough where this 'desperately needed' new road is being hacked into the landscape. Has to be seen to be believed how much damage is being done.

jackboy

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

The worst thing is it barely makes the news. Realistically in 10 years time when we've destroyed even more of the tiny fragments of nature left on the island there'll be even fewer birds
We should be CPOing land and allowing wildlife corridors throughout the country to form and just left to do their own thing.
Instead all we do is try and milk money ever more intensively from every patch of land.

It’s worse than that. A lot of the habitat destruction is costing money with no profit or benefit to anyone.

malinheader

Slurry, another massive poisoning of our ground that never gets highlighted.

blackbox

malinheader wrote: »

Slurry, another massive poisoning of our ground that never gets highlighted.

That too broad of a statement. It is the mis-use of slurry that is the problem.

There is no point in alienating farmers who are doing it properly. It is better to encourage them.

.

malinheader

blackbox wrote: »

That too broad of a statement. It is the mis-use of slurry that is the problem.

There is no point in alienating farmers who are doing it properly. It is better to encourage them.

.

So done correctly it doesn't kill the worms and grubs that wild birds feed on.

It is a little heartening at least to see quite a few posters expressing anger at the endless destruction of nature; I often wonder is it only me that gets so upset. It's hard to travel to any place in the country without seeing some destruction that is barely believable, and oftentimes totally unnecessary.

A poster mentioned OPW; while they don't have management over vast areas, through their arterial drainage vandalism they cause massively disproportionate damage.

But it's everyone really, councils spending budgets before they run out on make-works, chancers topping trees (should be a capital crime), greenways scoured of all life. I'm not optimistic; some international embarrassment might help.

whisky_galore

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Very well put. I see systematic destruction of hedgerows along the greenways in West mayo, absolutely unnecessary in my opinion. Its as if the council are terrified of a lawsuit where some child has her leg scratched by a briar.
Also, check out the disaster zones between Newport, Westport, Castlebar, Breaffy and Turlough where this 'desperately needed' new road is being hacked into the landscape. Has to be seen to be believed how much damage is being done.

So many awful things proposed, saw one for a new golf course, as if we needed more of those.. the hellfire club, another unneeded monstrosity at keem bay...a ski-lift type thing up crogh patrick for godsakes. It's as if everything needs has to be commodified with a Tayto Park style 'visitor/interpretive centre' and gift shop.

I totally understand people wanting to travel out and see these places esp around this time but ffs have a light touch, low impact development instead.
Rather than a mini motorway tarmac 'green' way, a minimum interference trail leaving as many trees etc in place, or just preserve and prohibit the bulldozing of old railway embankments and cuttings, like national monuments are, and allow wildlife to do its thing in peace.

Thelonious Monk

whisky_galore wrote: »

So many awful things proposed, saw one for a new golf course, as if we needed more of those.. the hellfire club, another unneeded monstrosity at keem bay...a ski-lift type thing up crogh patrick for godsakes. It's as if everything needs has to be commodified with a Tayto Park style 'visitor/interpretive centre' and gift shop.

I totally understand people wanting to travel out and see these places esp around this time but ffs have a light touch, low impact development instead.
Rather than a mini motorway tarmac 'green' way, a minimum interference trail leaving as many trees etc in place, or just preserve and prohibit the bulldozing of old railway embankments and cuttings, like national monuments are, and allow wildlife to do its thing in peace.

Yeah they really just want to make money out of everything. Bull Island near me is supposed to be a unesco biosphere area, but they are trying to build a new visitor centre there. I mean why not just leave it to the birds and try and reduce human activity there? It's the same in Fairview Park there are plans to put a new cafe and outdoor eating area there, as if there aren't enough shops and cafes in Fairview already.
Some stuff just needs to be left alone.

Pie Man

fiacha wrote: »

Surprised to see Grey Wagtail on there. I see them regularily on the Royal Canal and Tolka river local to me. They are also present in my estate, often seen picking through the moss on roofs / gutters.

Is their decline linked to decline in water quality and invertebrates ?

As well as Stonechat a cold winter hits there numbers hard, a mild winter and a good breeding season (two broods, 4 to 6 chicks at a time) there numbers can build up again. So I say there numbers go up and down a lot.

But Grey Wagtail have gone from amber to red listed. Last few winters haven't been noticeably bad. Generally the smaller the bird, the harder hit in cold winters. Goldcrests and Wrens numbers collapsed after 1962/3. Grey Wagtails are easy to spot, the flash of yellow, extraordinary tail, no surprise people spot them regularly, but these surveys are properly scientific. Along with flowering plants, birds are the best studied wildlife in Ireland. I think when the alarm is raised, we should pay heed.

slipperyox

Wonder how many bird species cats are responsible for extinction?

kildare lad

I know it's a bit of a contentious topic but with growing numbers of cormorants coming inland , it's going to have a knock on effect on bird populations in some of our smaller waters ways, ie canals, small lakes and rivers. They showed up on my local canal 2 years ago and they've devoured most of the fish that were in it over 2 winters. You won't even see a heron up there now , where before there would be a couple of them and 6 grebes you'd regularly see aswell. You know the oceans are fxcked when you see 4 cormorants on the canal every morning over winter .

kildare lad

slipperyox wrote: »

Wonder how many bird species cats are responsible for extinction?

They kill billions every year and are responsible for extinctions in australia and making a lot of mammals and lizards close to extinction aswell . There's an organization in Oz that builds these huge feral free areas and fences them all the way around so cats and foxes can't kill the endangered mammals , but according to cat lovers in Ireland they only take the old or sick ones that are dying . I'd say the pygmey shrew gets a slaughtered across the country by cats .


Feral proof area in australia

https://youtu.be/t_rxNLZ8i9I

slipperyox

I know of a lot of farmers that get "farm cats",
semi feral cats to roam sheds and barns, but I'd imagine they'd rather go for finches and small birds than rats...

OpenYourEyes

kildare lad wrote: »

I know it's a bit of a contentious topic but with growing numbers of cormorants coming inland , it's going to have a knock on effect on bird populations in some of our smaller waters ways, ie canals, small lakes and rivers. They showed up on my local canal 2 years ago and they've devoured most of the fish that were in it over 2 winters. You won't even see a heron up there now , where before there would be a couple of them and 6 grebes you'd regularly see aswell. You know the oceans are fxcked when you see 4 cormorants on the canal every morning over winter .

Contentious only because it represents a complete misunderstanding of Cormorants, rivers and ecology in general!

Cormorants have always been an inland bird. Water quality in many of our waterbodies is terrible. Our habitats, including wetlands, are in dire condition.

I wish it was as simple as culling a few Cormorants to get fish populations back, but it just simply isn't!

OpenYourEyes

slipperyox wrote: »

Wonder how many bird species cats are responsible for extinction?

Irresponsible cat owners drive me mad, and cats undoubtedly kill tens of thousands of birds in Ireland each year, including the cats whose owners swear they wouldn't hurt a fly.

All that being said, cats haven't put any species on the red or amber list in Ireland.

Stihl waters

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Irresponsible cat owners drive me mad, and cats undoubtedly kill tens of thousands of birds in Ireland each year, including the cats whose owners swear they wouldn't hurt a fly.

All that being said, cats haven't put any species on the red or amber list in Ireland.

Cats don't have the capacity to burn mountain side and bogs or clear land for agriculture and development but are often the go to argument for wild bird numbers decreasing

kildare lad

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Contentious only because it represents a complete misunderstanding of Cormorants, rivers and ecology in general!

Cormorants have always been an inland bird. Water quality in many of our waterbodies is terrible. Our habitats, including wetlands, are in dire condition.

I wish it was as simple as culling a few Cormorants to get fish populations back, but it just simply isn't!

While many of our waterways are in bad conditions , the canals near me aren't . There's far more cormorants coming inland in recent years to stretches of water that they've never been on before , and our waterways can't take that predation. Cormorants aren't the only animal that relies on fish in the canal , you've otters, herons , grebes , kingfishers , pike, perch and crayfish. Most of the spawning fish have been eaten in the last two years. And when all the other birds and otters breed , they're gonna struggle to feed their young as there's a major lack of fish in the canal .

kildare lad

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Irresponsible cat owners drive me mad, and cats undoubtedly kill tens of thousands of birds in Ireland each year, including the cats whose owners swear they wouldn't hurt a fly.

All that being said, cats haven't put any species on the red or amber list in Ireland.

Seen a pic an hour ago on facebook of a woman "saving" a chiff chaff from her cat . And I'm thinking imagine flying all the way from africa , just to be killed by someone's pet . I don't understand people who let there cats outside being on wildlife pages ??

Chisler2

Deleted User wrote: »

Very well put. I see systematic destruction of hedgerows along the greenways in West mayo, absolutely unnecessary in my opinion. Its as if the council are terrified of a lawsuit where some child has her leg scratched by a briar.
Also, check out the disaster zones between Newport, Westport, Castlebar, Breaffy and Turlough where this 'desperately needed' new road is being hacked into the landscape. Has to be seen to be believed how much damage is being done.

That development is scary in scale and violence. This will be the fourth consecutive year of tearing up the countryside between Westport and Newport and "concreting Paradise". The whole shebang between Westport and Castlebar will make a 10-minute (at best!) reduction in commute-time. Unfortunately the local population accept without question. As long as there is no challenge to the wholesale destruction, it will continue as it is in the financial benefit of politicians and construction companies.