Hen Harrier breeding soars in Ireland

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The Hen Harrier has experienced sharp decline in recent decades, with only an estimated 108-157 in Ireland, according to a National Parks and Wildlife Service survey.

However, the Hen Harrier Programme, a conservation initiative which focuses on six Special Protection Areas appears to be halting the decline, reporting its most successful breeding season for the hen harrier in 14 years and a 34% increase in hatchings since 2017. 

Last year 56 pairs successfully produced 81 chicks in the participating SPAs, including a pair which hatched five chicks in Co Kerry.

Project manager Fergal Monaghan says the increased breeding rates are a huge boost to the threatened species. 

"This is fantastic news for the hen harrier and all the farmers who have bought in to project. What's good for hen harriers is good for other bird species. It's good for plants, insects and small mammals.

"It's important to create a suitable habitat for the hen harrier. These birds mainly hunt for small mammals and small birds, the likes of the meadow pipets, skylarks and of those small birds found in moorlands, so if we can improve conditions for those birds then it increases the viability of the hen harrier."

S: https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2020/0521/1139806-hen-harrier/

[homomo 23,883]

I just read this as “Breeding soars in Ireland” and was like 

[Economy 52,861]

I love hearing stories like this

 

However for every 1 species we help strengthen away from endangerment/extinction we run several to extinction