News
Irish Wetland Bird Survey (I-WeBS) Trend Report 1994-2020
Date Released: Friday, April 1, 2022
NPWS, working with BirdWatch Ireland have just launched the Irish Wetland Bird Survey (I-WeBS) Trends Report. This report provides national and site-specific trends for all waterbird species covered by I-WeBS for the period 1994-2020.
BirdWatch Ireland - Trends Report
There are some very positive trends, such as the Little Egret’s colonisation of Ireland, with the wintering population having increased by a whopping 483% since 1994. - graph below.
Sadly not all trends are positive. In particular, Ireland’s populations of waders and diving ducks are experience major and ongoing national population declines. For example, over-wintering Lapwing numbers have declined by 63% since 1994. - graph below.
National Summary
| Trend (%) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | National - 5 Year | National - 12 Year | National - 23 Year | Long Term Trend |
| Scaup | -33.6 | -82.9 | -89.2 | Large Decline |
| Pochard | -19.8 | -60.4 | -79.1 | Large Decline |
| Goldeneye | -32.5 | -39.0 | -66.9 | Large Decline |
| Lapwing | -6.5 | -45.1 | -63.9 | Large Decline |
| Grey Plover | -30.6 | -39.4 | -57.8 | Large Decline |
| Golden Plover | -16.9 | -58.1 | -54.1 | Large Decline |
| Dunlin | 5.9 | -21.2 | -45.2 | Moderate Decline |
| Curlew | -9.4 | -23.7 | -43.1 | Moderate Decline |
| Turnstone | -33.6 | -46.0 | -23.7 | Intermediate Decline |