Cork ‘Nestflix’ trains eye on rare birds nesting

MEMBERS of the public can now tune into two new livestreams showing two Chough bird pairs building their nests.

They are among 900 pairs of Choughs breeding in Ireland, with 30% of the national population found in Co Cork in four of 15 Special Protection Areas (SPA) offering protection to breeding Chough around the country.

In recent years, National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) conservation rangers based in Cork have observed some Chough pairs moving from their traditional coastal sites, where they mainly nest in crevices in sea cliffs, to building their nests further inland in old buildings.

This includes cattlesheds, haybarns, derelict cottages, and even bridges, with research by NPWS staff suggesting that around a third of the Chough population in Cork is now nesting in buildings.

The livestreams, an initiative of the NPWS in the Cork region, have been set up to allow further monitoring of a sample of the Chough population during the nesting season, as they may face additional challenges in new surroundings.

Their eggs and chicks appear to be more vulnerable to predators such as rats and crows. Human activity can also cause some disturbance to their nests, and sites may be lost due to buildings being renovated or collapsing.

In order to overcome some of these threats, the NPWS is erecting Chough nest boxes at particularly vulnerable sites, with Clare Heardman, district conservation officer, explaining: “The livestream ‘Nestflix’ cam will allow better understanding of some of these factors which impact on the Chough population, and how we can protect this Annex 1 population in the future.

“The breeding behaviour of Chough is normally hidden from human eyes because of their traditional crevice-nesting habit so the cameras will provide a rare glimpse into all stages of breeding from nest-building to the chicks fledging.”

• The Mizen Head pair: www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMnvzd356nMtarget="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">
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• The Clonakilty pair: www.youtube.com/watch?v=625ZfzqaSJs