Bird extinction is happening 'right here, and right now'

An ornithologist whose critically acclaimed film may well have captured the extinction of an Irish bird species says he hopes it will help persuade policy-makers to protect bird populations.

Seán Ronayne was speaking after a well-attended screening of his documentary Birdsong at Cavan Arts Festival. The film charts his quest to record the songs of all Ireland’s almost 200 native bird species.

In the course of Seán seeking out particular birds, we learn of the difficulties in finding examples of suitable habitat, and the perilous fate of some of the species, such as the ring ouzel. It’s thought that Seán captured the song of the last pair in Ireland.

Asked for an update on the ring ouzel during the festival’s Q&A session the Cork man explained: “All I know is that this year there is a male back singing, but there is nothing answering the song.

“It’s very sad, but this is the reality, and I think this is the reason why it’s important for people to see this. Extinction isn’t something that just happens in the Amazon, extinction is something that’s happening right here, and right now. And it will continue to happen unless we make big changes.

But we know that we can make those changes so we have to hope.”

He says that policy needs to change to have “landscape affect”.

“So many things have gone wrong in this country and they just seem to be let run,” he lamented and gave one example, which “pains” him.

“Our hedgerows and our trees, it’s as if people are allergic to them. Because we have so little native woodland, these are the lifelines for species which require those habitats and they are being picked at bit by bit. It’s death by a thousand cuts. It seems like nothing ever happens.”

He says the lack of prosecutions for cutting out of season incentivises people to do continue to commit this “wildlife crime”.

“I hope that other people, who may be oblivious to these things may see it too, the more numbers there are complaining about these things, the more chance we have of forcing someone to change this policy.”

However he gave the audience, which included numerous local environmentalists, reason for encouragement by citing the red-necked phalarope as a bird that has made a comeback from extinction. A site on the Northwest coast obtained and restored by BirdWatch Ireland attracted a migrant pair of red-necked phalarope, and it now has a population of six pairs.

Another source of hope is the corncrake - which reportedly saw an increase of 30-35% on Tory Island.

“That’s proof that we can turn things around if we put the effort in,” Seán assured.

Birdsong will be aired on RTÉ 1 this Sunday, May 26 at 6.30pm.