Future of hen harrier in doubt as survey shows alarming decline in numbers

The hen harrier could be extinct in Ireland within 25 years despite measures taken to preserve the population of one of the country’s most studied birds.

The latest survey in the State reveals a decline of more than a third in the number of breeding pairs since 2015.

Then there were between 108 and 157 breeding pairs in the State. The latest survey, carried out in 2022, reveals that there are now only 85 to 106 breeding pairs left.

That represents a 59 per cent decrease since the first national survey was taken in 1998-2000.

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This is according to the survey commissioned by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) which involved 250 fieldworkers and 7,700 hours of observation.

The findings “could not be more serious” for the future of the hen harrier, according to BirdWatch Ireland’s raptor conservation officer John Lusby.

The hen harrier is known as “Ireland’s skydancer” for the elaborate skydiving routine performed by male birds to attract females. Male birds throw prey to female birds in mid-air who catch it and bring it back to their nests.

“They would be such a huge loss. They are one of Ireland’s most iconic and beautiful birds,” he warned.

“That should send out warning signals to us because they are a top predator and an indicator of the health of the countryside. This survey is telling us that not all is well in our uplands.”

The decline is all the more alarming as measures have been taken since 2007 to preserve dwindling numbers. Then, under the EU Birds Directive, Ireland designated six sites in upland areas as Special Protected Areas (SPAs), based on their national importance for breeding hen harriers at that time.

They are Slieve Beagh in Co Monaghan; the Slieve Bloom mountains in counties Offaly and Laois; Mullaghanish to Musheramore in North Cork; Slievefelim to Silvermines in counties Tipperary and Limerick; the Slieve Aughty mountains in counties Galway and Clare; and the Stacks to Mullaghareirk mountains in west Limerick, Cork and Kerry.

Mr Lusby said much of the afforestation is a “legacy” issue as commercial forests involved were started before the SPAs were put in place. Since 2010 there has been no more commercial planting in the SPAs.

“There was such extensive planting predesignation that has now reached maturity and this has reduced habitat suitability and availability,” he said.

He admitted that the future of hen harriers in Ireland is “very, very serious” and will need drastic action including habitat restoration. “The best way to reverse the decline is to restore their habitats,” he said.

This would mean fewer commercial forests, wind farms and no forest recreational activities such as scenic walks in those areas.

Mr Lusby said wind farms are a big problem too for hen harriers as many are killed in collisions with wind turbines and the disturbances can prevent them breeding.

BirdWatch Ireland head of advocacy Oonagh Duggan said environmentalists will shortly be launching a campaign to save the hen harrier.

“Government knows what needs to be done but it is not acting. This is a litmus test for its new National Biodiversity Action Plan,” he said.

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