Dr. Alex Copland:

I thank Deputy Ryan. The curlew breeding population in Ireland is approximately 120 pairs. Thousands come to Ireland for the winter, as it is much milder here so the population from the UK and Scandinavia migrate down to Ireland to spend the winter here. The breeding population is what we are particularly concerned about in Ireland. There has been a decline in the last 25 years of 86%. In terms of range contraction, nearly three quarters of the range has gone. The main drivers for curlew are the drainage of agricultural land and the fragmentation of its habitat. The curlew is a species that likes damp, peaty, rushy pasture and uplands. Curlews avoid areas of trees. They like open moorland and landscapes. Afforestation and fragmentation of habitats are huge issues.

The yellowhammer is still probably quite numerous. I estimate the population to be between approximately 25,000 and 30,000 pairs in Ireland. Compared to the curlew that is very common but yellowhammers have declined by 90% in the past 25 years. Their range contraction has also been enormous. Yellowhammers are still common and widespread but they are not as common and widespread as they were. Forty years ago they would have been in every townland and parish in Ireland. Now they are concentrated very much in the south east which is the tillage and cereal growing area on which they are dependent. They are seed-eating birds and they are found in cereal growing areas. They nest in hedgerows. They are particularly vulnerable to agricultural management and intensification. The reason for their decline in range has simply been the loss of small-scale tillage, particularly in the west where 40 years ago nearly all the farms would have had an acre of oats or potatoes to feed a cow or pony but that is no longer the case. As a result we have seen them contract into the core area where one still has commercial cereal growing. I do not think we will ever see a return of yellowhammers to the whole of the country but we need to try to hold on to what we have, where we have it. The population is still declining significantly even in the south-east stronghold. The population is declining even when hedge cutting in August is not allowed so my worry is that if one allows hedge cutting during August, one could absolutely decimate the population. It is already on the red list and is declining. We should be taking action to help protect and conserve it and not put it at more risk.