Curlew numbers on the rise — thanks to seven years of a conservation programme

It had been feared that the bird was headed for extinction in Ireland but latest figures show that a major conservation effort has had some success

Curlew (Numenius arquata): 42 chicks reached fledging stage in 2023 — up from 19 in 2022

The highest number of young curlew have fledged into the wild since 2017 when the Curlew Conservation Programme began, in a remarkable reversal of fortunes for one of Ireland's most endangered bird species. 

It was estimated in 2016 that the curlew had just 10 years left until extinction in Ireland, but CCP efforts appear to have, for now, helped stave off this extinction.