Lough Ree is now a 'nationally important site' for the curlew

From Yeats to Burns and Brian Eno, the iconic call of the curlew has been immortalised by poets, writers and musicians the world over for several generations.

Its distinctive bubbling, almost eerie ascending “cur lee cur lee” call was once commonly heard in the Irish countryside during the summer, primarily close to water, marshy land or bogs.

Sadly, there has been over a 95% decline in the bird numbers since the 1980s, explains Owen Murphy, who is Warden of Lough Ree and the Mid Shannon Callows area with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). In 1983, there were 6-7,000 curlews in Ireland, now that is down to just 120 pairs, he says.

However, the good news is that Lough Ree has become a “stronghold for the curlew” in recent years, benefitting from ongoing work undertaken by the North Midlands region of the NPWS breeding bird programme and the Curlew Conservation Programme, which works in nine areas countrywide, including the lake.

There are currently 16 pairs of curlew along Lough Ree and nearby bogs, which represents over 13% of the countrywide total, and there are hopes that number will increase in the coming years.

To coincide with World Curlew Day today (Thursday, April 21), Owen is encouraging people to become more aware of the curlew, which he describes as a beautiful bird, google its distinctive call, and report it to him if they hear it locally in the evenings or catch a glimpse of the distinctive-looking bird.

“Curlews nest on the ground and like a lot of species who nest on the ground they are coming under pressure for various different reasons.

"In Ireland, we have drained a lot of the land that curlew would have used traditionally, we've also planted a lot of forestry on what we would call marginal land which is the sort of land they favour, soft ground, boggy like conditions.”

“Then Bord na Móna would have cut peat commercially on thousands of acres of bog and as soon as they go in with machines the habitat again becomes unsuitable so a huge reason (for their decline in numbers) is habitat loss,” he explains, adding that as the population fell dramatically, the danger of predators like foxes, badgers, the pine marten and others were felt more acutely because the numbers are not there to sustain losses.

“World Curlew Day came about basically to try and make the public more aware that how badly these birds are faring. Curlew is a fairly iconic species, a lot of people would have heard them in their youth, and their parents would know them.

“They have a very unique bubbling call and people from the countryside or people from the towns who went fishing would have heard these birds calling going back through the years, quite like the corncrake. It's a call that's dying out and large parts of the country don't hold curlew anymore,” he laments.

A unique sight with their big, long beaks and long legs, curlew live into their 30s, but they don't start breeding until age three or four. Quite large in size, they use camouflage to blend into the reeds and can often be hard to spot, even when feeding.

Like a lot of waders, curlews use space as a defence, breeding in a wide open area where they can see predators coming and avert the danger. With the loss of that expanse, they are much more vulnerable to predators, Owen details, adding that they use stealth and camouflage to protect themselves and their nest. “When they see a predator they'll and divert them away from the nest, or cause a distraction,” points out Owen, who is full of praise for the Curlew Conservation Programme, run by the NPWS in nine areas, with Lough Ree showing the highest numbers of the group.

“In the last few years, we would have approximately sixteen pairs between the lakes and the surrounding bogs (Lough Ree). There was a survey done last year and the last estimate was around 120 pairs in the country so when you look at it, it's a nationally important number that are breeding on the lake.”

Public awareness is a big part of the programme, as are efforts to protect the habitat and to encourage farmers to get actively involved in habitat maintenance or habitat regeneration.

“There are also nest protection efforts so if we do come across a nest we put an electric fence around it so that mammalian predators can't get in.

“I have a team of people coming down from Dublin for World Curlew Day, and we're attempting to catch some curlew and put GPS on them so we can see where they are going and coming to, track their movements, and learn more about them. It's very interesting work but it's such a pity it's at such a late stage,” he laments.

Owen remains hopeful, but realistic about the future, however, cautioning that the work on habitat regeneration is a medium to long-term solution. In saying that, he adds if the programmes were not put in place when they were it was estimated there would be no breeding curlew by 2030.

“If nothing else to stop the decline is the aim,” stresses the NPWS Warden. “If you can hang on to pairs then when habitat regeneration comes online you will have birds to utilise it. It would be an awful pity for habitat to come right and have no curlew left.”

So far in the areas where the Curlew Conservation Project is working there has been no decline in numbers even though there has been a slight decline in the rest of the country.

“The areas we're working in we've managed to stabilise numbers so we're hoping in the next year or two the numbers will start to pick up,” says the Athlone man, whose primary work is on a bird breeding programme on Lough Ree in the North Midlands region.

“In a paper published last year Lough Ree was found to be the most important place for breeding waterbirds so it just goes to show the work that's going on is bearing fruit,” ends Owen.

Anyone who hears a curlew or spots one locally should call or text Owen 089 4446840.