Forestry and Bird Conservation in Ireland with special reference to Hen Harrier

1. Forestry and Bird Conservation in Ireland with special reference to Hen Harrier A presentation for: COFORD Council Land Availability Working Group (CCLAWG) By David Tierney National Parks and Wildlife Service 6th of December 2012

2. Layout of the talk • The Birds Directive – framing bird conservation in Ireland • Bird Conservation priorities in Ireland and Forestry • Ireland’s SPA network • Hen Harrier – its status as a breeding bird in Ireland • The Hen Harrier within and without the SPA Network – management challenges and opportunities

3. The Birds Directive – framing bird conservation in Ireland What are the relevant species? Article 1 of Directive 2009/147/EC (the Birds Directive) relates to the conservation of “..all species of naturally occurring birds in the wild state”

4. The Birds Directive – framing bird conservation in Ireland What has to be done? Article 2: • “Member States shall take the requisite measures to maintain the population… at a level which corresponds … to ecological, scientific and cultural requirements..” Article 3: • “Member States shall take the requisite measures to preserve maintain or re-establish a sufficient diversity and area of habitats for … birds”

5. The Birds Directive – framing bird conservation in Ireland What has to be done? Article 4: 4.1: “The species mentioned in Annex I shall be the subject of special conservation measures… Member States shall classify special protection areas for the conservation of these species…” 4.2: “Member States shall take similar measures for regularly occurring migratory species not listed in Annex I...” 4.4 first sentence (with regard to areas classified as SPAs): “Member States shall take appropriate steps to avoid pollution or deterioration of habitats or any disturbances affecting the birds, in so far as these would be significant” 4.4 second sentence: “Outside these protection areas, Member States shall also strive to avoid pollution or deterioration of habitats”

6. Bird Conservation Priorities in Ireland and Forestry Which species need priority conservation/protection, how much and when? Irish forest cover is approximately 700,000ha or 10% of Ireland’s land area • Could further afforestation potentially improve the conservation status of some species? • Could further afforestation potentially damage the conservation status of some species?

7. Bird Conservation priorities in Ireland and Forestry Which species need priority conservation/protection, how much and when? BirdWatch Ireland and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in Northern Ireland complied a list known as the Birds of Conservation Concern in Ireland (BoCCI) Species are listed as either Red, Amber or Green depending on various factors including: • rate of population change (decline) • rate of range change (decline) • absolute population size • How localised a population is

9. Bird Conservation priorities in Ireland and Forestry Which species need priority conservation/protection, how much and when? A study by UCC (Sweeney et al 2011 Irish Birds Vol 9 pp181—196) recorded a total of 39 bird species across 76 forests. • Many of these species considered to be forest generalists (Blue Tit, Great Tit, Goldcrest etc) and only two conifer specialists were recorded (Siskin, Crossbill) • Five species listed amber on the BoCCI list were recorded in this study • Grasshopper Warbler • Linnet • Spotted Flycatcher • Stockdove • Woodcock

10. Bird Conservation priorities in Ireland and Forestry Which species need priority conservation/protection, how much and when? A study by UCC (Sweeney et al 2011 Irish Birds Vol 9 pp181—196) recorded a total of 39 bird species across 76 forests. • There are other species of birds occurring in Ireland that has varying degrees of association with forestry (for nesting and/or feeding) including • Hen Harrier • Merlin • Long-eared Owl Although not recoded in this study Great Spotted Woodpecker is now regularly breeding in Ireland and its range is expanding – one of Ireland’s few forest specialists

12. Bird Conservation priorities in Ireland and Forestry Which species need priority conservation/protection, how much and when? Some species on the BoCCI list by virtue of their ecology, habitat use, range etc have varying degrees of overlap with areas that could be targeted for afforestation Low potential overlap: seabirds and non-breeding waterbirds that frequent coastal areas and large inland wetland sites; Medium potential overlap: Farmland birds (e.g. Yellowhammer); herbivorous waterfowl (e.g. Whooper Swan, Greenland White-fronted Goose); Chough; and High potential overlap: Upland breeding waders (e.g. Golden Plover) Lowland wet grassland breeding waders (Redshnak, Snipe) Curlew, Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Red Grouse – Many of these have undergone significant reductions in numbers and range

14. Bird Conservation priorities in Ireland and Forestry Which species need priority conservation/protection, how much and when? Irish forest cover is approximately 70,000 or 10% of Ireland’s land area • Could further afforestation potentially improve the conservation status of some species? • Possibly, however the majority of birds that would benefit have a secure status already; from a bird conservation perspective it is better to focus on how to improve the habitat within the current forest estate for certain species and to target areas of low bird conservation value for afforesation • Could further afforestation potentially damage the conservation status of some species? • Yes open habitat species that already have an unfavourable conservation status species like Red Grouse, Curlew, Golden Plover – could be significantly impacted directly from habitat loss but also the quality of habitat adjacent to afforested areas could be potentially reduced (displacing individuals and/or increasing rates of predation)

15. Ireland’s SPA Network How extensive? There are 164 SPAs in total Approximately 575,000 ha of Ireland’s land and marine territory

16. Ireland’s SPA Network What SPAs are designated for what species?

17. Ireland’s SPA Network Consequences Birds Directive Article 4.4 first sentence: “Member States shall take appropriate steps to avoid pollution or deterioration of habitats or any disturbances affecting the birds, in so far as these would be significant” • Article 6 (3) of the Habitats Directive: “Any plan or project not directly connected with or necessary to the management of the site but likely to have a significant effect thereon, either individually or in combination with other plans or projects, shall be subject to appropriate assessment”

18. Ireland’s SPA Network Consequences • Case C-127/02 “The Wadenzee case”: “the competent national authorities, taking account of the conclusions of the appropriate assessment of the implications of mechanical cockle fishing for the site concerned in the light of the site's conservation objectives, are to authorise such an activity only if they have made certain that it will not adversely affect the integrity of that site, that being the case if there remains no reasonable scientific doubt as to the absence of such effects”

19. Hen Harrier – its status as a breeding bird in Ireland Population estimates

20. Hen Harrier – its status as a breeding bird in Ireland Range • 69 10kms in 2010 compared to 65 10kms in 2005

21. Hen Harrier – its status as a breeding bird in Ireland

22. The Hen Harrier within and without the SPA Network – management challenges and opportunities How Harriers use the forest landscape • The Hen Harrier SPA network (6 sites) covers approximately 168,000 ha • Using data from around 2000 – 2005 • 23% rough grassland (39,600 ha) • 28% heath bog (47,760 ha) • 48% forestry (80,950ha).

23. The Hen Harrier within and without the SPA Network – management challenges and opportunities How Harriers use the forest landscape 2005 nest site selection

24. The Hen Harrier within and without the SPA Network – management challenges and opportunities How Harriers use the forest landscape • HH appear to have adapted to the afforestation of many of their upland areas • It seems that Hen Harriers do not avoid breeding in heavily afforested landscapes. • Pre-thicket second rotation habitat is often selected as nest sites. • Hen Harriers also use rough grassland and heath bog • The 2006 protocol agreement on managing the interaction of HH populations and forestry development was based on data of habitat selection of adult pairs of Hen Harriers and their nest sites as a proxy for the requirements of the Hen Harrier Population.

25. The Hen Harrier within and without the SPA Network – management challenges and opportunities How Harriers use the forest landscape • However recent research on breeding success by Hen Harriers using second rotation area as nesting habitat has indicated a negative association • Estimates of breeding success by Irish Hen Harriers are often low

26. The Hen Harrier within and without the SPA Network – management challenges and opportunities Forestry cannot be managed in isolation • Agricultural intensification • Land abandonment • Wind farm development • Other pressures and threats

27. The Hen Harrier within and without the SPA Network – management challenges and opportunities Forestry cannot be managed in isolation There are weaknesses with the afforestation protocol • there has been a notable decline of nesting Hen Harrier in some of the SPAs; • further data on breeding parameters are a cause for concern especially in light of the recent decline as well as the negative association with second rotation; • the equation that underpinned the protocol calculations assumed that the rough grassland resource was stable; • there may be increased negative pressure on the heath bog resource with in the Hen Harrier network; and • the demography and spatial arrangement of the forests within the SPAs may not be conducive to the promotion of stable Hen Harrier populations.

28. The Hen Harrier within and without the SPA Network – management challenges and opportunities Forestry cannot be managed in isolation Under regulation 39 of European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 provision is made to develop and implement an appropriate threat response plan in order to cease, avoid, reduce or prevent threats, pressures or hazards that may be having an adverse effect on the conservation status of a species of bird referred to in Article 1 of the Birds Directive and/or causing the deterioration of the habitats of species for which a European Site has been classified pursuant to the Birds Directive

29. A threat response plan for Hen Harrier in Ireland A tender has been advertised seeking a suitable person/organisation to • liaise with various stakeholders in order to compile Hen Harrier related population and habitat data and its analysis to identify gaps in these datasets and in our understanding of ecological processes relating to Hen Harrier in Ireland; • undertake site and wider countryside risk assessments informed by the identification of the current pressures and threats operating on the Hen Harrier population in Ireland on a site by site basis and in other geographical areas identified to be of significant importance; • through discussion with relevant stakeholders contribute to the production of sector specific management measures that will feed into the HHTRP; • produce site specific conservation objectives for those SPAs where breeding Hen Harrier is a listed interest; • contribute to the production of sector specific guidance in relation to raptor conservation in Ireland;

30. Thank you