BirdWatch Ireland is seeking citizen scientists for records of raptors and river birds in Dublin City this summer.
The Dublin City Raptor Survey is seeking records of Peregrine Falcon, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Buzzard, Long-eared Owl and Barn Owl, while the Dublin City River Bird Survey is seeking records of Grey Wagtail, Kingfisher, Sand Martin and Dipper.
Raptor and river bird populations are often under-recorded in Ireland due to their ecology, Birdwatch Ireland notes.
“Several bird species are of significant conservation concern, including the Grey Wagtail, which declined by 67% between 1998 and 2016,”it says.
“Meanwhile, raptors such as Kestrel and Barn Owl are Red-listed species, meaning they are at risk of extinction in Ireland,”it notes.
The survey running until September 30th is being run by Birdwatch Ireland in collaboration with Dublin City Council as part of the Dublin City Biodiversity Action Plan.
It is supported by the National Biodiversity Data Centre.
“As urbanisation is increasing rapidly in Ireland, we need to better understand our baseline population of river birds and how are they faring in an increasingly urbanised environment,”it says.
“This information will inform conservation measures for these species. Citizen scientists are key to these projects, and your knowledge and sightings will make a significant contribution to our understanding of river bird and raptor populations and their distribution in Dublin city,” it says.
These surveys can be undertaken by people of all ages at any Dublin city location, and there is no minimum time commitment.
Participants should have some basic raptor and/or river bird identification skills. Binoculars are recommended but not required.
To learn more about these surveys and to get involved, visit here
Meanwhile, as Afloat reported earlier, Dublin Port Company (DPC) is welcoming back its breeding terns for the summer months. Among these returning birds is likely an Arctic Tern that was first ringed in Dublin Port in the year 2000 and has been flying back and forth from Antarctica ever since. At least 23 years old, this is the oldest Arctic Tern on record in the Republic of Ireland.
