Initiative boosts corncrake comeback with €4.35m of funding
The corncrake is on the Red List of Conservation Concern because its numbers are falling in Ireland and across Europe.
The call of the corncrake, one of Ireland’s most endangered species, is being heard again in parts of the country.
And it is likely to become even louder in the future as the result of a new €4.35 million bird conservation initiative. The Natura Communities for Birds programme will initially operate in nine key sites in Donegal, Mayo and Galway.
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Selected for the conservation of the Corncrake, the sites are designated as Special Protection Areas but will also support a broader range of bird species. The aim is to build on the successes of the Corncrake LIFE project, which will conclude at the end of next month.
Minister of state for nature, heritage and biodiversity Christopher O'Sullivan and minister for agriculture Martin Heydon have welcomed the initiative. The corncrake is on the Red List of Conservation Concern because its numbers are falling in Ireland and across Europe.
Over the past five years, the LIFE project contributed to a 55% increase in the national corncrake population with almost 1,500 hectares of land in management agreements with landowners.
The project was widely seen as a model for bird conservation and was well received by the communities and landowners involved.
It was led by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Fota Wildlife Park, Atlantic Technological University and Údarás na Gaeltachta.
Minister O’Sullivan described the Corncrake LIFE Project as an incredibly successful and hopeful story of nature conservation in Ireland.
He said the distinctive call of this elusive bird is being heard more clearly each year in the meadows, farmland and hayfields of the northwest. Last year saw the highest number of recorded corncrake territories in 25 years.
“This new programme will build on that progress and provide further investment in communities here to keep up this good work.
“We need to support farmers and landowners who want to farm with nature and make sure that they are rewarded for the results they produce,” he said.
Minister Heydon said the positive impact of the Corncrake LIFE project is heartening to see and is a testament to the conservation work that farmers are embracing on their land.
“Collaboration and engagement are the underpinning successes of the Corncrake Life project, from cross-departmental to farmers and the wider community.
“This initiative brought all parties together with a conservation objective that delivered for all involved and is complemented by the ACRES Co-operation approach,” he said.
Minister Heydon said he is delighted to support the future Corncrake programme and the winning tenderer Atlantic West Community Alliance CLG, which will continue this excellent conservation work.
The Natura Communities for Birds Programme will see conservation action led by a locally embedded team in partnership with landowners, farmers’ and communities. It will be overseen by the NPWS working closely with the department.
Dr John Carey, NPWS, said the lessons from the LIFE project, many of which have already been incorporated within the ACRES agri-environment scheme, will now give the opportunity to adapt and improve further.
The Natura Communities team will be able to continue to instil the confidence and support to farmers and landowners who want to manage for these rare birds and keep their farms filled with wildlife.
So much good work has been done in the past five years, not only to restore nature, but to restore trust and co-operation between communities and conservation, he said.
Suzanne Nally, director of Nature Conservation with the NPWS, said the Corncrake LIFE project was an inspiring and successful model for the delivery of conservation measures and community engagement with farmers and landowners.
The Natura Communities for Birds Programme, which will run for an initial three-year period, is funded by the NPWS, the Department of Agriculture and Shared Island.
It will focus on corncrake conservation and habitat restoration, species monitoring, forge community partnerships and develop champions for bird conservation.
The goal is to ensure the long-term conservation of farmland birds and their habitats whilst delivering social benefits for local people in the areas through direct investment in communities to deliver nature focused solutions.
