Curlew: Successful breeding season for endangered bird
There is renewed hope for one of Northern Ireland's most endangered birds after a record-breaking breeding season.
Sixty-nine curlew chicks were recorded at Glenwherry, County Antrim during 2022, says the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
That is more than double the number that fledged from nests there in 2021.
"What this season means is that in the next five years we could have over 30 new pairs return to the area to breed," says Katie Gibb of the RSPB.
"[That] would be a massive and healthy influx of young, fertile, new genetics for this population."