The first osprey chicks from a new reintroduction programme were released into the wild at the weekend.
It’s believed they were held in Killarney before they were released in Waterford.
An osprey being reintroduced to Ireland. Photo: NPWS
This programme to reintroduce the osprey into Ireland was established by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
Ospreys are thought to have become extinct as breeding birds in Ireland over 150 years ago, but have continued to visit the island as part of their migratory pattern.
The bird of prey has a long heritage in Ireland, with several place names, particularly in Munster, referencing the bird.
This includes Killarney National Park which is home to a site known as Osprey Rock at Loch Léinn, pointing to the bird’s history, particularly close to rivers and lakes as it hunts for fish.
Earlier this week, a breeding pair of ospreys and their chicks was discovered at a nesting site in Northern Ireland – a momentous, first sighting of naturally established, breeding ospreys in over 150 years.
While the programme may take some time for the species to begin breeding again, the reintroduction of this fish-eating apex predator will provide significant insights into the health of the Irish ecosystem, and its waters over time.
Over the next five years, the NPWS plans to reintroduce 50 osprey chicks.
Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan says similar to the white-tailed eagle reintroduction programme in Killarney, the success of the osprey one relies on the support of farmers and landowners, who are working together with the NPWS.
