The Hen Harrier is one of Ireland’s most alluring raptors.
Renowned for their spectacular aerial courtship display known as the ‘skydance’, this ground-nesting species plays a crucial role in our wild upland landscapes.
Tragically, Ireland could stand to lose them. Activities such as forestry, agriculture, renewable energy and recreation have changed our landscape, reducing the amount of habitat that breeding Hen Harrier need. These changes have also reduced the amount of food available and left the Hen Harrier more exposed to predation. As a result of this combination of pressures, Hen Harrier numbers have plummeted. At the current rate of decline, we could lose the Hen Harrier to extinction in the next 25 years, its stunning sky dance lost from hills and mountains and left only to memory.
We have reached a crisis point. Urgent intervention is needed if there is any hope of bringing the Hen Harrier back from the brink.
Take Action Now!
The draft Hen Harrier Threat Response Plan (HHTRP) is open for public consultation until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, February 20th, 2024 and Birdwatch Ireland are urging you to have your say on it. While there are some positives in the plan, BirdWatch Ireland have a number of concerns and don’t believe that the HHTRP as it stands goes far enough to reverse the decline of Hen Harrier in Ireland. Support the campaign to save the skydancer from extinction by making a submission, which outlines three of the key asks. The template below can serve as a guide. Additionally, if you would like to attach the full submission as an attachment, you can download it here.
Dear whom it may concern,
To save the Sky Dancer the Hen harrier Threat Response Plan must :
- Protect all nationally important Hen Harrier breeding and wintering grounds from afforestation, forest management activities, wind energy development and other pressures.
- Restore habitat across all nationally important breeding and wintering sites using clear restoration targets and timelines.
- Guarantee long-term support for farmers through a well-funded results-based schemes across all nationally important breeding and wintering grounds.
Yours Sincerely,
[Your Name here].You can email your submission to henharrierconsultation@npws.gov.ie or by post to: Hen Harrier Threat Response Plan Consultation, Agri-Ecology Unit, National Parks and Wildlife Service, 90 North King Street, Smithfield, Dublin D07 N7CV.