Egg-cellent curl-news

By Maisie Mould

Twelve curlew chicks have hatched at Fota Wildlife Park, as part of the park’s partnership with the Breeding Waders European Innovation Partnership Programme (EIP).

The EIP project aims to secure existing wader populations at key sites, and to support population recovery through wider landscape management and policy development.

Curlews, now an endangered species, are the largest wader bird, typically found in wetlands across Ireland, and can live up to 32 years old. The number of these birds has decreased substantially in recent decades, according to Bird Watch Ireland, who attribute the decline to ‘increased afforestation and agricultural improvement’.

“The curlew, once a common sight in Ireland’s bogs and wetlands, is now critically endangered, having experienced a staggering 98% decline since the 1970s,” said Declan O’Donovan, Animal Care Manager at Fota Wildlife Park.

“This alarming trend places the breeding curlew on the brink of extinction. At Fota Wildlife Park, we are deeply committed to this conservation project, as protecting native species is a priority.”

Fota is actively engaged in conservation initiatives for the native curlew. Areas of suitable habitat are thoroughly surveyed, and suitable places are then painstakingly searched to locate nests. Once located, eggs are collected and sent to Fota for incubation.

So far, twelve Eurasian curlew chicks have hatched at Fota from 31 viable eggs collected from the wild across various counties in Ireland in collaboration with project partners and nest protection officers. More eggs are expected to hatch over the coming weeks.

Fota has successfully run other conservation programmes like this one. They reared and re-released to Kerry 9,000 Natterjack toads. The park has also recently welcomed recently born endangered primates, including five ring-tailed lemur babies and an agile gibbon.

Owen Murphy, Project Manager for the Breeding Waters EIP said: “This project is an exciting venture, we look forward to working closely with all our project partners, landowners, farmers and others to try and pull our native breeding wader species back from the brink of national extinction.”

For more on Fota Wildlife Park which is open daily from 9.30am, see www.fotawildlife.ie.