Orkney's curlew population back on the rise as charity removes invasive species
The Orcadian curlew population is on the rise following an effort to reduce the numbers of an invasive predator, experts have said.
In a report, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) said on Monday that the species population has grown, after an initiative to reduce the number of stoats living on the islands came into force.
Stoats are small, carnivorous mammals that were first recorded in Orkney in 2010.
A 2017-2019 survey of wading birds in Orkney revealed that the number of curlews in the isles had declined by more than 50% when compared with the previous survey recorded from 2006-2010.
The Orkney Native Wildlife Project began removing stoats in 2019 and the latest survey, which covered 100 sites and recorded pairs of wading birds per square kilometre, showed a modest recovery since the low in 2019 from 12 to 14.5 pairs per square kilometre.
This marks a 21% increase – a stark contrast to mainland Scotland's population, where curlew populations have decreased by 13% between 2012 and 2022, and a wider UK-wide decline of around 50% since 1995.
The RSPB says the latest figures from Orkney mark a significant success for conservationists, despite the overall drop in curlew population.
The wildlife charity says more than 7,000 stoats have been removed from the Orkney isles in recent years, which has been integral to restoring the number of native curlews.
It also said chick survival rates have increased since 2019.
The RSPB says ongoing high nest success would help make these species more resilient to all factors affecting them, such as poor chick survival because of bad weather as was seen in 2024.
They are a promising sign of future successes and recovery as each year's chicks reach maturity and begin raising their own young in future years.
Anne McCall, director of RSPB Scotland, said: 'It is fantastic to see that the hard work of the project team and many volunteers is starting to restore a positive future for vulnerable species in Orkney.
'This is the first major population survey for waders since work started to remove stoats from Orkney and the signs are really promising, as we see declines for curlew reversed.
'Archipelagos like Orkney are always a delicate balance, with native predators, disease, bad weather and many other factors that influence the survival of our wildlife, but these are largely things that our wildlife has adapted to.
'Removing the invasive stoats from the islands is essential to giving Orkney's wildlife the best chance to build the resilience it needs to meet these threats.
'There is still work to do to see numbers return to before stoats were first recorded, but results like this show the difference we are making.'
For more information about the project, visit: rspb.org.uk/orkney-project
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