Curlew LIFE project sparks turnaround with record number of chicks fledged for this endangered species - RSPB

RSPB NI is delighted to announce the Curlew breeding results for this season. Once facing the threat of extinction, this species is now on the path to recovery, thanks to the work of dedicated RSPB NI staff and local farmers, working in partnership through the Curlew LIFE project.

Once common in Northern Ireland, the Curlew is recognised by its long bill and haunting call and is the largest European wading bird. Curlews are near threatened globally and in Northern Ireland have declined by 82% since 1987, to an estimated 150 breeding pairs so that they are now of the highest conservation concern.

Curlew LIFE is a UK-wide four-year project, funded by the European Commission LIFE Programme. In Northern Ireland, it focuses on the last remaining core areas for Curlew in the Antrim Plateau and on Upper and Lower Lough Erne.

The Antrim Plateau this season saw a remarkable increase in the breeding population, which jumped from 37 pairs last year to 52 pairs this year, transforming what was once a species on the brink of extinction into a recovering population.

Katie Gibb, RSPB NI’s Conservation Officer for the Antrim Plateau, highlighted the impact of this remarkable achievement “Over the course of the Curlew LIFE project, we’ve seen 202 chicks fledge, some of which have already started to return to the breeding population, resulting in a 40% increase in pairs in just one year. This is an incredible improvement compared to the 116 fledglings recorded between 2011 and 2020. It gives us real hope, allowing us to shift our focus from preventing extinction to managing a recovering population.”