Conservationists are celebrating following a resurgence in the number of corncrakes on an island off the North Antrim coastline.
Six calling male corncrakes have been recorded on Rathlin Island this breeding season, the RSPB NI said, describing the highest number to be counted in recent memory.
It comes just two decades after the bird faced extinction from Northern Ireland.
The RSPB said the corncrake has been driven to the brink by changing farming practices and the loss of traditional hay meadows.
They say that Rathlin Island remains the only place in Northern Ireland where the species is confirmed to be breeding, and thanked a “dedicated effort by RSPB NI staff, volunteers and landowners is helping to change the fate of the corncrake”.
The Giving Corncrake A Home project was started by the charity in 2010, bringing volunteers together to dig, wash and transport nettle rhizomes to the island to provide the dense, early cover that corncrakes rely on to breed successfully.
It bore fruit in 2014 when the first corncrake returned to Rathlin Island year-on-year.
Liam McFaul, RSPB NI warden on Rathlin Island, said he has noticed the drop in numbers himself across his life.
“When I was growing up, corncrakes were everywhere, you couldn’t step outside without hearing them. Now, even one call is rare,” he said.
“That’s why creating early cover with nettle rhizomes is so important. Without it, corncrakes could have disappeared from Rathlin for good.”
Claire Barnett, RSPB NI’s east area manager, added: “I remember being out on Rathlin in 2014, walking the fields and hearing the corncrake call as they were becoming re-established.
“It was a moment of hope but I never imagined we’d one day be hearing six. It’s incredible.
“This is down to years of hard work by our team, the community and volunteers.
“We’re aiming for 10 calling male corncrakes on Rathlin, and with the right habitat and care, we’re confident we can get there.”
