Ireland announces establishment of curlew taskforce

Ireland on Friday announced the establishment of a taskforce to reverse the decline of the curlew as a breeding species in the western European country.

The decline of the curlew is of serious concern, the Irish government said, adding that both the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine have already worked closely together in prioritizing curlew locations and in developing a measure that works for both the farmers and the birds.

It also said that by convening this taskforce, it is bringing together the relevant experts and decision makers to undertake further positive actions for the curlew.

While Ireland is home to thousands of curlew each winter, particularly along our coasts where migrant birds come to escape colder weather in Scotland or Scandinavia, Its national breeding population has declined to below 150 pairs, a decline of 97 percent since the 1980s.

The curlew is one of Ireland's most distinctive birds, with long legs and a long, curved bill. It is renowned for its plaintive, bubbling call and can be found during the spring and summer in high nature value farmland areas and bogs.

The curlew is a red listed species under the Birds of Conservation Concern in Ireland and is Ireland's only species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's red list of endangered species.

A recent survey shows how serious a situation Ireland's own native curlew are in, with just 122 breeding pairs recorded. This represents a 97 percent decrease since the 1980s.

source: Xinhua