Extinction threat to Hen Harrier as population falls in Slieve Blooms

BirdWatch Ireland has warned that action is needed to prevent the extinction of the Hen Harrier, after the population of the bird declined recently in many parts of the country, including the Slieve Bloom mountains in Laois and Offaly.

A survey of the Hen Harrier population in Ireland in 2022 was published recently and showed a 25% decline in its population in the Slieve Blooms, despite the area's status as a special protection area for breeding Hen Harriers.

The Hen Harrier is now regarded as being even more endangered than the Curlew and the Corncrake, two species whose threatened status has been highlighted in recent decades.

The Slieve Bloom mountains had "generally maintained a stable or slightly increased population" of between eight and 11 Hen Harrier pairs since the first national surveys of the bird were carried out in the late 1990s.

This peaked in 2015, when 12-13 pairs were recorded in the Slieve Blooms, but the 2022 survey showed the population had since fallen to just eight or nine pairs.

Three successful Hen Harrier nest sites were recorded in the Slieve Bloom mountains, with a total of six chicks being fledged there in 2022.

The 2022 national Hen Harrier survey, commissioned by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, identified recreational outdoor activities in the Slieve Blooms, including walking, horse-riding and off-road vehicle driving, as factors contributing to the decline of the Hen Harrier.

"These recreational activities are regarded as causing high levels of human-related disturbance and/or displacement to Hen Harriers," the survey indicated.

The Hen Harrier is known for its distinctive skydance, prompting BirdWatch Ireland, An Taisce and Environmental Pillar to launch a 'Save the Skydancer' campaign.

The campaign is calling on the public to make submission to a draft Hen Harrier Threat Response Plan public consultation before 5pm on Tuesday next, February 20.

A statement on behalf of the 'Save the Skydancer' campaign said: "Results of the 2022 national survey of Hen Harrier in Ireland show that time has almost run out for the Hen Harrier, and that the species is now faring even worse than the Curlew and the Corncrake – species often held up as prime examples of biodiversity loss in Ireland.

"Since the last national survey of what is one of Ireland’s rarest birds, the species has declined by one-third in just seven years, with just 85 to 106 breeding pairs estimated to remain in the country.

"Without strong and swift intervention, the Hen Harrier faces the very real prospect of extinction in Ireland in just 25 years, its skydance and chattering call no longer gracing our uplands."

The 'Save the Skydancer' campaign said the draft Hen Harrier Threat Response Plan "does not reflect the gravity" of the existential threat facing the bird.

"The draft Hen Harrier Threat Response Plan has been in development for more than ten years, during which time the Hen Harrier population has declined by one-third," said John Lusby, Raptor Conservation Officer with BirdWatch Ireland.

"We are running out of time, and the draft plan in its current form does not reflect that urgency, nor is it sufficiently targeted to implement the actions needed."

The campaign is urging people all across the country to make a submission on the draft Hen Harrier Threat Response Plan and to call on the National Parks and Wildlife Service to further protect and restore its habitat.