The fish-eating Osprey, which became extinct here 150 years ago, are to be reintroduced to Ireland this summer.
Minister of State Malcolm Noonan said that the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is “ready to move forward” by reintroducing the bird of prey.
The first 12 Osprey chicks are due to arrive in July.
The Osprey is a specialist feeder, relying on medium-sized fish, both marine and freshwater. The bird will fly above the water’s surface to locate fish, sometimes gliding and soaring up to 70 metres high.
The NPWS says the reintroduction programme aims to establish a viable, free-ranging Osprey population that eventually breeds in Ireland.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service plans to bring 50-70 Osprey chicks to Ireland from Norway over a five-year period. The first 12 Osprey chicks are due to arrive in July Photo: RSPB
The project has been led by a highly experienced NPWS team, headed up by divisional managers Dr Phillip Buckley and Eamonn Meskell – who also led the highly successful White-tailed Eagle reintroduction programme in Ireland.
“The NPWS plans to bring 50-70 Osprey chicks to Ireland from Norway over a five-year period,” Noonan said.
“NPWS has drawn on international expertise and learning from around Europe and North America in the development of this programme,” he said.
“ In particular, the project has the direct involvement of colleagues from Norway and Britain, who are not only top Osprey experts, but who have led and supported other key species-reintroduction programmes in Europe,” he said.
“The NPWS has great expertise from its introduction of the white-tailed eagle, and the same, highly experienced team will now put their knowledge to good use as we embark on the reintroduction of the Osprey,” he said.
As part of a programme of events celebrating National Biodiversity Week, Noonan visited some of the nesting platforms currently in place for migratory Osprey, who sometimes visit Ireland.
New nesting platforms are being erected on Ireland’s south-east coast, on a key migratory route for Osprey between Northern Europe and Africa. They will be in place and ready for the arrival of the chicks this summer, he said.
Ospreys became extinct in Ireland 150 years ago, and several place names around Ireland, particularly in Munster, reference the bird.
Killarney National Park is home to a site known as Osprey Rock at Loch Léinn, pointing to the bird’s history in Ireland, particularly close to rivers and lakes as it hunts for fish.
The NPWS says that while the programme may take some time for the species to begin breeding again, reintroducing this fish-eating apex predator will provide significant insights into the health of the Irish ecosystem and its waters over time.
