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It may be the bane of the gardener’s life, but weeds
such as the dandelion and thistle could be the key to
the survival of one of Ireland’s rarest native birds.
The twite is at a high risk of becoming extinct, according
to Dr Derek McLoughlin - an ornithologist who recently
completed his PhD thesis on “The Ecology of the Twite
in Ireland”.
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A member of the finch family and cousin of the linnet, the
small brown-streaked songbird was once common around the entire
Irish coastline, but changes in land use has led to its demise
in many areas.
“It’s future is very dependent on what happens in agriculture
in Ireland, which is now very much in flux,” said Dr McLoughlin.
“If people abandon farming it may spell the death knell of
the twite.”
His figures suggest that the plight of the twite is even
more serious than that of the corncrake, a species also dependent
on adapted farming practices for its survival. It has been
estimated that, at its lowest levels, there were 100 breeding
corncrakes in the country.
Dr McLoughlin said that, because it is a small brown bird
which is hard to identify, the fate of the twite has aroused
little public concern - which, he said, raises questions about
our value system from a conservation point of view.
“The twite is actually the lowest common denominator from
a biodiversity point of view and, if we take steps to ensure
its survival, we will also protect other species such as the
red grouse, the yellowhammer and the bumble bee.”
The twite lives on seeds and depends on such maligned weeds
as the dandelion, sorrel, thistle and chickweed to survive.
Dr McLoughlin pointed out that it has survived in Gaeltacht
areas where traditional farming practices are still used.
Overgrazing and undergrazing pose real threats for the survival
of the bird.
“The twite has been pushed out to Gaeltacht areas, perhaps
mirroring the decline in the Irish language which also seems
to have been pushed out to more isolated coastal areas,” he
said.
Following an extensive study started in 2005, when he was
a science research graduate at the Institute of Technology
in Sligo, Dr McLoughlin found there are between 50 and 100
breeding pairs in Ireland and that about 90 per cent of the
twite population is based in north Mayo or west Donegal.
The bird’s lifespan is short - from two to six years - and
severe winters can have a big impact on mortality. Small numbers
can be found in the Ballisodare Bay area of Co Sligo and in
west Kerry, probably due to a surge in the winter season population
when birds migrate from Scotland.
The twite is one of 18 birds on Bird Watch Ireland’s red
list because of its rapid decline in population.
Source - The Irish Times
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