Corncrake numbers increase

The €1m battle to save the corncrake from national extinction has secured a major victory, with the number of calling male birds soaring this summer to levels not witnessed for almost 20 years.

Preliminary figures released yesterday by the National Parks & Wildlife Service show numbers of male calling birds are up between 30% and 40% in 2013 compared to last year.

The massive increase in calling males prompted arts and heritage minister Jimmy Deenihan to say yesterday: “While these are only preliminary figures, they are very encouraging.