Headstarting

World curlew Day marks the launch of the

2025 Breeding Wader EIP

HEadstarting programme

World Curlew Day on April 21st, marks the commencement of the Breeding Waders European Innovation Partnership (EIP) 2025 headstarting programme. The initiative aims to build on the success of last year’s project, which saw 27 curlew fledglings, hatched in Fota Wildlife Park, released into the wild, marking a milestone in native species conservation efforts.

The headstarting process, commencing at the end of April, involves collecting Curlew eggs from the wild, incubating, hatching, and rearing the chicks until they are strong enough to be released. Once they reach the fledgling stage, the young birds are released back into the wild, giving them a significantly higher chance of survival during the most vulnerable period of their lives. This approach dramatically increases survival rates for vulnerable ground-nesting species like the Curlew, whose populations have been decimated by habitat loss and predation.

Building on the success of the 2024 Headstarting which saw the release of 27 Curlew fledglings into the wild, marking a significant milestone in conservation efforts, Breeding Waders EIP, the Hen Harrier Programme and Fota Wildlife Park prepare for the 2025 Headstarting process.

Headstarting refers to a strategy where conservationists collect eggs from the wild bird populations, incubate and hatch these eggs, and then rear the chicks in a controlled environment to increase their hatching rate, fledgling rate and overall survival. The fledglings are released back into the wild population. The goal of headstarting is to boost the population of threatened or endangered species by ensuring that a greater number of individuals reach adulthood and are recruited into the wild breeding population.

The 2025 Headstarting Process will commence at the end of April. Breeding Waders EIP team and project partners, Fota Wildlife Park and the Hen Harrier Programme, have been diligently preparing for the upcoming breeding season. Fota Wildlife Park are expert aviculturalists and will ensure that collected eggs get the best possible care and attention. The drone pilot team in the Hen Harrier Programme will be on hand to help the Breeding Wader EIP team find the precious Curlew eggs in the wild.

Eurasian Curlew are a ground-nesting bird which makes them extra vulnerable to land-use change and predation. As waders, they require access to water and invertebrate rich soil for their chicks to thrive. As a result, the Breeding Waders EIP has been managing several sites to ensure suitable habitats for waders, implementing actions such as scrub clearance, drain reprofiling and rush mulching. Landowner recruitment is currently underway, with farmers signing up to help save the species by implementing management actions on privately owned land. The EIP has recruited and trained thirty seasonal nest protection officers to implement practices in designated areas where Curlew and other breeding waders are likely to nest. Other actions have seen Predator exclusion fencing sourced and erected in known nesting sites and a thermal imagery drone procured and licensed with personnel trained for nest detection. The drone pilot team in the Hen Harrier Programme, operating under licence from the National Parks and Wildlife Service, will assist the headstarting team in locating Curlew eggs in the wild. Once identified, the eggs are carefully collected and transported to Fota Wildlife Park, where they are incubated and the chicks reared in purpose-built, biosecure facilities.

Donal Beagan, Headstarting and Nest Protection Manager for the Breeding Waders EIP:

“It is unfortunate that we must resort to emergency measures to boost Curlew populations through headstarting. However, this technique gives us significant hope. These birds are long-lived, so increasing their numbers should have lasting effects. Nevertheless, much work remains to be done in terms of landscape habitat, predation risk management, and policy before we can restore healthy breeding Curlew populations in our countryside.”

Fota Wildlife Park is deeply committed to conservation, focusing on several endangered species through long-established breeding programmes. The Curlew is one of five critically endangered native species that the park currently supports. The team at Fota has been taking numerous steps to prepare for the 2025 headstarting process, including reviewing last year’s data, procuring and calibrating incubation and hatching machines, preparing their headstarting facility with infrared lighting and food requirements for chicks, and constructing and seeding pens for when the chicks are ready for the outdoors.

Declan O’Donovan, Animal Care Manager at Fota Wildlife Park:

“Having been involved in numerous conservation projects since its formation in 1983, participating in the Breeding Waders EIP is a natural progression for Fota Wildlife Park. Collaborating with all the dedicated Breeding Waders EIP partners epitomises the IUCN One Plan approach which is core to our values. This is where work on the ground to protect the waders through collaboration with local landowners, farmers, ecologists and Government Agencies is complemented by the expertise and capacity in the areas of avian incubation and headstarting that Fota Wildlife Park brings. It is truly humbling to be part of this project and I know that the dedication of my colleagues here in Fota Wildlife Park will undoubtedly shine again during this season, allowing us to return young birds which would not have had the opportunity to survive back into their natural habitats in Ireland”

Everyone involved in this process shares a profound love for nature and the Curlew they help. Last year’s success highlights the dedication of the team in hatching, rearing, and releasing these birds into the wild. The Headstarting process demands tireless effort from our staff to ensure the best hatching chances for the eggs and the survival of the chicks once they are released as fledglings.

Owen Murphy, Senior Project Manager, Breeding Waders EIP:

“The staff of the Breeding Waders EIP, Fota Wildlife Park and the Hen Harrier Programme go to extraordinary lengths to make Headstarting work in an Irish context. I wish to commend them on their commitment and dedication, which sees long hours in the field including late nights and early mornings, constant vigilance during incubation and chick rearing and the excitement and nervousness of the release days. Hopefully 2025 will be another successful and inspiring year, and that many new Curlew will be in Irish skies this Summer.”

To stay updated on the progress of the eggs collected please follow both the Breeding Waders EIP and Fota Wildlife Park on their social media channels.