Could Irish curlews be calling with 'Emmerdale' accents in years to come?

Well, possibly, if a groundbreaking conservation collaboration gets wings.

A new licencing arrangement between Ireland and Britain has facilitated the importation of curlew eggs from the Yorkshire dales. And these ‘Emmerdale eggs’ are now being used to supplement and bolster the struggling Irish curlew population.

ADVERTISEMENT

Under this novel arrangement, 40 curlew eggs collected from the stable curlew population on the Yorkshire dales were transported from Britain by the Breeding Waders EIP team for early-stage rearing at the Centre for Species Survival in Dublin Zoo.

Once the chicks reached 15-20 days of age, they were transferred to specially designed release aviaries operated by the Breeding Waders EIP team in order to acclimatise to Irish conditions before their release.

A first batch of the ‘Yorkshire’ chicks were released last week as part of the launch of the ambitious conservation drive.

“Huge efforts have been made by conservation groups, communities and landowners to protect the distinctive curlew with its unmistakable, bubbling call,” said Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan.

“Now we’re accelerating our actions and giving this vulnerable species the shot in the arm that it needs to survive and thrive in our landscapes,” he added.

“This landmark licencing arrangement is in place with UK authorities for the next five years. That means we will add 200 birds to the existing curlew population by 2030,” Minister O’Sullivan explained.

“The scale of this intervention is unprecedented and will bolster existing conservation efforts. It will boost breeding numbers, support recovery of the species and strengthen the long-term viability of the curlew in Ireland,” he maintained.

“In parallel, I’m committed to work with communities and landowners to develop targeted actions to protect and restore the habitats needed by these amazing birds, as part of the national Nature Restoration Plan,” he said.

The curlew population in Ireland is estimated to have declined by 98% since the 1980s. Curlew conservation efforts to date by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the Breeding Waders EIP and other projects have focused on protecting the existing breeding population through measures such as nest protection, head-starting and predator control.

While data suggests small increases in recent years, the number of breeding curlew pairs in Ireland is estimated at between 100 and 150.

Owen Murphy of the Breeding Waders EIP said initiatives such as head-starting and egg importation are not taken lightly by conservation teams and are always informed by research and modelling of the impact of the proposed actions on the species in question.

“This data informs our decisions and, in this case, showed the clear benefit of accessing additional eggs to supplement our head-starting programme,” said Murphy.

“A huge thanks to the Yorkshire Dale Moorland Group for their willingness to work collaboratively, share knowledge and aid in our attempts to retain the breeding Eurasian curlew as an intrinsic part of the Irish landscape,” he added.