Curlew LIFE project sparks turnaround with record number of chicks fledged for this endangered species

Once common in Northern Ireland, the Curlew is recognised by its long bill and haunting call and is the largest European wading bird. Curlews are near threatened globally and in Northern Ireland have declined by 82% since 1987, to an estimated 150 breeding pairs so that they are now of the highest conservation concern.

Curlew LIFE is a UK-wide four-year project, funded by the European Commission LIFE Programme. In Northern Ireland, it focuses on the last remaining core areas for Curlew in the Antrim Plateau and on Upper and Lower Lough Erne.

The Antrim Plateau this season saw a remarkable increase in the breeding population, which jumped from 37 pairs last year to 52 pairs this year, transforming what was once a species on the brink of extinction into a recovering population.  

Katie Gibb, RSPB NI’s Conservation Officer for the Antrim Plateau, highlighted the impact of this remarkable achievement “Over the course of the Curlew LIFE project, we’ve seen 202 chicks fledge, some of which have already started to return to the breeding population, resulting in a 40% increase in pairs in just one year. This is an incredible improvement compared to the 116 fledglings recorded between 2011 and 2020. It gives us real hope, allowing us to shift our focus from preventing extinction to managing a recovering population.”

Katie continued, “The success achieved this year is the result of the accumulation of four years of dedicated conservation work, and commitment from of our team and farming partners. Through hands-on efforts such as nest protection fences, habitat management, and predator control, we’ve created conditions needed for the Curlew population to thrive.” This accomplishment highlights the importance of partnerships with farmers and landowners, showcasing that conservation and agriculture can work together to protect nature.

On the Lower Lough Erne Islands Reserve, a steady 43 breeding pairs of Curlew were recorded again this year across 200 hectares of lowland wet grassland. However, fledging success reached new heights, with 20 fledglings recorded, making this the most successful breeding season of the four-year LIFE Project on the Reserve. One of the key highlights is the transformation of Trasna Island, funded primarily by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the CurlewLIFE project, which now hosts 19 breeding pairs of waders, including the first Curlew to fledge on the island in living memory.  

Amy Burns, RSPB NI's Lower Lough Erne Reserves Manager, said "The success across the islands on Lower Lough Erne is a testament to the incredible work of our Reserve team. It's rewarding to see all our efforts pay off with an increase in breeding pairs over the project and such strong fledging success recorded this year. The increase in fledglings shows that the habitat improvements we’ve made, particularly the wet feature creation, are making a real difference for the Curlew."

It is incredibly difficult to halt the decline of any species, especially those dependent on a variety of habitat measures in areas free from disturbance. These hard-won successes seen in the core areas in Northern Ireland are a positive example of what can be achieved with the right measures in place for a species, however, we still have a long way to go to return Curlew numbers to the figures seen even in the 1980s. We have largely lost Curlew from the wider countryside across Northern Ireland, but the progress with Curlew LIFE in these core areas shows how we can start to recover a species with the right funding, targeted conservation action and a strong partnership with local farmers and communities.

The CurlewLIFE project has been a collaborative effort across the UK, managed by RSPB with funding from the EU LIFE programme and several project partners, including Cairngorms Connect, Fellfoot Forward Landscape Partnership Scheme, Natural Resources Wales, and NIEA-DAERA. The Heritage Fund has also played a vital role in acquiring key sites for the project in Northern Ireland, ensuring the long-term success of conservation efforts.

To learn more or to support RSPB works, visit www.rspb.org.uk.