The Corncrake LIFE conservation project will hold its official launch this Friday (March 25) to save the last of Ireland’s corncrakes through work involving farmers and farmland in coastal locations.
The event will take place on Friday, March 25, from 9:30a.m at Óstán Loch Altan in Gortahork, Co. Donegal.
The project seeks to improve Ireland’s conservation status of the species by enhancing the Special Protection Area (SPA) network and surrounding farmland.
Measures such as early and late cover, and conservation-friendly mowing will take place on eight sites comprising nine SPAs and farmland, as up to 60% of chicks are killed when mowing from the outside in, Corncrake LIFE said.
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage explained:
“Its [corncrakes’] distinctive call was once heard all over the Irish countryside, but a rapid shift towards intensive agriculture has wiped the birds out.”
The population of corncrakes declined by over 90% in the last forty years, and the species is now only found in the west and northwest of the country, the department added.
Use of farmland
Farmland is critical to the project as approximately 85% of the population occurs within SPAs and associated hinterland, according to Corncrake LIFE.
Early and late cover provides suitable tall vegetation throughout the breeding season, when grazed or cut vegetation in grass fields is too short for the birds, according to Corncrake LIFE.
Conservation-friendly mowing consists of maintaining a low speed mowing from the centre out to push birds to the edges of the fields, Corncrake LIFE said.
“While the creation of improved habitat condition cannot in itself guarantee an increase in population, the project will strive to achieve a 20% increase in calling males across the sites,” according to the project.
The specific component objectives are:
- Securing landowner cooperation and local community involvement and support;
- Improving targeting and delivery of effective conservation measures, underpinned by science;
- Improving management regimes for corncrake in project sites;
- Creation and maintenance of early and late cover;
- Improving knowledge exchange with farmers and planners in project sites;
- Promoting the corncrake as an asset for local areas and communities.