EU funded corncrake conservation project kicking off in Mayo

The call of the corncrake was once a ubiquitous sound in meadows and grasslands across the island of Ireland.

However, rapid changes to farming practices in the 1970’s spelled doom for the bird which migrates back home to Ireland from Africa every summer and nests in meadows.

Only 145 calling male corncrakes were recorded across Ireland in 2020.

A new €5.9m EU funded LIFE project overseen by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage will begin work in 2021 to try and revive the fortunes of the corncrake and ensure it remains a part of rural landscapes for years to come.

The project will operate at coastal and island locations in Mayo, Galway and Donegal as well as associated farmland which still supports corncrakes.

Over a five-year period, Corncrake LIFE will work collaboratively with farmers and landowners to improve the landscape for the highly endangered bird.

"The efforts will focus primarily on a combination of habitat creation and restoration, although there will be some new and innovative approaches to corncrake conservation explored," stated Dr. John Carey who manages the project.

"A pilot results-based payment scheme will also be trailed with farmers in 2021 with a view to a wider roll-out in 2022.

"Local stakeholders will be key in conserving the corncrake. The project team will work collaboratively with local communities in developing measures that work for both the corncrake and the landowner."

The projects dedicated field officers will provide guidance, direction and support to landowners while community engagement officers will work with local stakeholders to establish the corncrake as an asset to the areas it frequents.

The project field officer in Mayo and Galway, Liam Loftus, said: "Last year we saw a significant increase in the number of breeding corncrakes in Mayo and Galway as more and more people participated in recording the corncrake and protecting their habitat.

"With Covid restrictions in place throughout the last breeding season, conservation efforts really relied on the public in particular to report any calling corncrakes in their area.

"As well as that we had the goodwill and participation of local landowners in protecting the breeding sites and we hope to build on that goodwill going forward with the Corncrake LIFE project."

The project will work together with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Údarás na Gaeltachta and Fota Wildlife Park and will explore innovations such as flushing bars fitted to tractors to scare birds away from mowers, thermal imaging drones to find nests, and passive acoustic monitoring using high-tech microphones in an attempt to help locate the highly elusive birds.

For more information on the project you can contact CorncrakeLIFE@chg.gov.ie or follow them on Twitter @CorncrakeLIFE