In a single generation the populations of lapwing, curlew, snipe and redshank in Northern Ireland have declined so drastically that they are now in danger of being lost from our countryside forever.
Redshank (Andy Hay, rspb-imges.com)
A new study into how breeding waders are faring here has just been released and the facts and figures confirm what we already knew - urgent conservation action is needed if we’re to save these species.
The report, led by RSPB NI senior conservation scientist Kendrew Colhoun, is based on the findings of intensive surveys carried out across the country in 2013.
In short, it shows that breeding populations of eurasian curlew, northern lapwing and common snipe have declined dramatically since 1987 and the distributions of all species surveyed are becoming increasingly fragmented and restricted towards the western counties of Tyrone and Fermanagh.
The 2013 survey is contrasted with previous surveys undertaken in the same areas in 1987 and 1999 and the findings confirm that the downward trend has continued. To think that these birds, which would once have been considered abundant here, have been all but wiped out in my lifetime is hard to comprehend.
Perhaps most worrying is the status of curlew, which now has near-threatened global status.
The estimated population size here in 2013 stood at 526 breeding pairs – a staggering 89 per cent fewer than in 1987.
Meanwhile breeding populations of lapwing and snipe have fallen 84 and 78 per cent respectively in the same period and as few as around 120 pairs of redshank were recorded in the whole of Northern Ireland.
Snipe (Tom marshall, rspb-images.com)
There are many reasons why breeding waders are struggling to survive in Northern Ireland, as well as the Republic of Ireland, Britain and further afield.
They are ground-nesting birds and require quite specific conditions to thrive, for example tussocky grass affords suitable nesting habitat and wet invertebrate-rich areas are required for feeding adults and chicks alike.
However changes in agricultural practices, such as increased mowing and drainage on some sites and the complete abandonment of management on others, means many areas suitable for nesting have been lost. Some species, most notably the curlew, have been driven into more upland areas but there they are more susceptible to predators which use the dense woodland as cover.
It might seem that the odds are stacked against these species. However, the science shows that where land is managed appropriately, the number of breeding waders increases.
It’s no coincidence that the strongholds for lapwing, curlew, snipe and redshank in Northern Ireland are largely on nature reserves or land which is managed by farmers with wildlife in mind.
For example, the RSPB’s recent Halting Environmental Loss Project (HELP), which worked with over 400 farmers in Northern Ireland, succeeded in increasing the number of these species at selected sites across NI by an average of almost 70%.
Now is the time for conservationists and land managers to work together to try and pull these beautiful birds back from the precipice.
If we don’t, in another generation they’ll be no more than a distant memory.
Lapwing at sunset (Andy Hay, rspb-images.com)