This document discusses the declining population of Hen Harriers in Ireland and the threats faced by the species. Hen Harriers are threatened by habitat loss due to agricultural intensification and afforestation. Over 1,000 hectares of protected Special Protection Areas designated for Hen Harriers have been afforested. Afforestation is considered the primary threat as mature plantations replace suitable habitat. While some nest in second rotation forestry, the habitat is temporary and breeding success is lower than in moorland. The future of Hen Harriers is uncertain unless steps are taken to address threats such as habitat loss from afforestation and agricultural changes.

1. The Sky Dancers Last Waltz?
Articlewrittenfor the IrishWildlifeTrustSpringMagazine2015
By FintanKelly
Today there are few creatures that are capable of polarising opinion or provoking such
diametrically opposed emotions as the Hen Harrier. To the naturalist there are few sights
more evocative of the wild than the sight of a Hen Harrier effortlessly sailing over a
windswept landscape wreathed in heather. Indeed to anyone who has been privileged
enough to have witnessed the Hen Harriers spectacular courtship display or “sky dance” it
will remain engrained in their memory for the rest of their lives. On the other side of the coin
some farmers are understandably frustrated by the lack of progress that has been made in
compensating them for restrictions. On the back of this a concerted campaign to vilify the
Hen Harrier has been gathering pace. Whatever side of the fence you find yourself Irelands
skies may soon be bereft of the ‘sky dancer’ unless immediate steps are taken to tackle
threats such as agricultural intensification, persecution, wind farms and afforestation.
Hen Harriers are traditionally birds of open upland habitats and they are reliant on these
habitats for their survival. Along with Skylarks, Meadow Pipits and Red Grouse, Hen Harriers
have evolved to nest on the ground. This is an adaption to the open nature of our uplands
which has been created by generations of farming communities grazing the heather and
rough grasslands. The fate of the Hen Harrier and many other upland habitats and species is
intimately linked to the continuation of traditional grazing. Although once widespread
throughout Europe, Hen Harriers have suffered a large historical decline and as such are
listed as ‘Depleted’ by BirdLife International. As a Species of European Conservation
Concern they are included in Annex 1 of the EU Birds Directive. Ireland is therefore obliged
to undertake measures to protect the species including the establishment of Special
Protection Areas (SPAs).
During the summer months, Hen Harriers breed in upland areas, before migrating to lower
elevations in the winter. Here they can often be seen in large communal roosts taking
advantage of the milder conditions and shelter wetlands and coastal reed beds offer. Given
the Hen Harriers wide distribution within the Irish landscape from our mountains to our
coasts their changing fortunes are reflective of changes that have occurred within the Irish
landscape throughout history. While persecution is undoubtedly an issue for all birds of prey
in Ireland the primary threat to Hen Harriers on these shores is unquestionably habitat loss.
The intensification of agriculture has driven the loss of many habitats and landscape features
on which Hen Harriers and many other species rely. Land reclamation, scrub clearance,
hedgerow removal and the reseeding of species rich grasslands saw the loss of breeding
pairs from the lowlands (1, 2) (O'Donoghue et al., 2011; Ruddock et al., 2012). As a result
Hen Harriers today as a breeding species are restricted to our uplands. Of course even our
uplands have not been immune to change. The loss of species rich grasslands and
overgrazing has negatively affected the availability of nesting habitat. Overgrazing and
burning has in many areas also caused a decline in the abundance of prey species (3)
(Henderson et al., 2004).

2. In recent decades vast swathes of Hen Harrier habitat has been annexed for the
construction of windfarms. While the risk of birds colliding with rotor blades is an obvious
threat, the biggest issue associated with windfarms is habitat loss. Due to disturbance
harriers avoid nesting near wind farms. Like owls they are heavily reliant on their hearing to
pinpoint prey in long grass and heather. The noise pollution caused by windfarms is also
thought to be affecting their ability to hunt effectively (Percival, 2003; Whitfield & Madders,
2006).
For Irish Hen Harriers the greatest factor in their decline is unquestionably forestry. The
relationship between Hen Harriers and forestry is however complex. Irelands Hen Harrier
population once common throughout Ireland’s uplands underwent a decline during the early
20th
century. This was the result of persecution and land reclamation and by the 1950s it is
believed that the species was hanging on in Laois, Tipperary/Waterford and Cork/ Kerry
(Ruddock et al., 2012). Over the following two decades the population then started to
recover due to the expansion of forestry. While Hen harriers are reliant on open habitat the
initial stages of afforestation offered ground cover for nesting and respite from burning and
disturbance. Over the intervening two decades these plantations matured and by the 1970’s
the plantations had closed over replacing huge areas of what had previously been suitable
habitat. It was estimated that during the 1970’s the all island population was in the region of
250–300 breeding pairs. By 2010 the population had fallen to an estimated 158-205 pairs
(Ruddock et al., 2012). This period coincided with a national change in forest cover of 2 -
10%. The majority of these plantations consist of exotic monocultures which offer very little
to our native wildlife. Besides the Hen Harrier other habitats and species such as the
Freshwater Pearl Mussel, Merlin, Marsh Fritillary and the Kerry Slug have been devastated
by forestry.
Over most of their range Hen Harriers continue to nest in open moor. In Ireland however
nesting sites are most commonly found in second rotation forestry (Ruddock et al., 2012).
While at first this may appear a good thing, second rotation plantations mature quickly so
they are only useful to Hen Harriers for a relatively short period of time. The disturbance
associated with clear felling and replanting means the sites are initially less useful as hunting
grounds. There is also good reason to believe that Hen Harriers are more vulnerable to
predation by foxes and pine martens in these unnatural habitats (Wilson et al., 2009).
Worryingly evidence from Scotland and the Slieve Aughties, indicates that breeding Hen
Harriers had a lower success rate in second rotation forestry than on moorland (Etheridge et
al., 1997, Wilson et al., 2010).
Given the Governments objective of achieving national forest cover of 18% by the year 2046
the wise management of the Hen Harrier population within the six SPAs is vital to the long
term viability of the species (Davies, 2014). However despite the fact that afforestation is
known as the biggest threat to the Hen Harriers, 1,188 ha of the SPAs have been afforested.
To put this in context 53% of the SPAs are afforested compared to a national average of
11% (reff). This has coincided with an 18% decline in Hen Harrier numbers within the SPAs
between 2005 -2010 (Ruddock et al, 2012). Worryingly the largest declines have been
observed in their traditional strongholds in the West and South-West. Only the Slieve Bloom
population appears to be self-sustaining (Ruddock et al, 2012). Despite the obvious threat
posed by allowing further afforestation there have been calls for the current ban on forestry
within the SPAs to be lifted. Astonishingly Tom Hayes TD, Minister for Food, Forestry

3. Horticulture and Food Safety has indicated his support for further afforestation despite the
obvious implications.
Up to 4,000 farmers have had their land designated within the SPAs. These farmers many of
them farming in disadvantaged areas are entitled to compensation so that they can continue
the traditional farming practices which support their communities as well as the rich
biodiversity of our uplands. Farmers who feel that their land has been rendered “almost
worthless” have directed their frustration at the Hen Harriers, the National Parks and Wildlife
Service and environmental groups. What is clear is that these communities have consistently
been failed by the Department of Agriculture and their faming representatives. Through the
Rural Development Programme Ireland had the opportunity to compensate farmers for costs
and income loss resulting from designation. In 2013 the Department of Agriculture cut the
budget for designated sites by more than 80%, from €528 million to €95 million, and
reallocated the money elsewhere (DAHG, 2013).
All the signs indicate that 2015 will be pivotal year for the Hen Harrier. The latest national
Hen Harrier survey is due this year and should reveal the scale of the task at hand. In recent
months many farmers frustrated by the failure of the IFA to represent their interests have
banded together to form their own group the Irish Farmers with Designated Land (IFDL).
These seismic tremors within the farming community are occurring while the various
stakeholders prepare to lock horns in the upcoming Hen Harrier Threat Response Plan
review. During these meetings the actions needed to safe guard the species into the future
will be hotly debated. If we can overcome the initial distrust that has been fostered between
environmentalists and the farming community then there is genuine hope for progress not
just on this but a range of other issues. What is very clear to me is that the interests of the
Hen Harrier and the communities on which they rely are not so very different, despite what
some might have us believe.
References
Department of Arts, H. a. (2013). Submission to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the
Marine on CAP reform and biodiversity. Dublin: Department of Arts, Heritage and the
Gaeltacht.
Davies, H. (2014). Ireland’s Forestry Programme 2014-2020, Appropriate Assessment (AA),
Natura Impact Statement. Abingdon: ADAS UK Ltd .
Etheridge, B., Summers, R.W. & Green, R.E. 1997. The effects of illegal killing and
destruction of nests by humans on the population dynamics of the hen harrier Circus
cyaneus in Scotland. J. Appl. Ecol. 34: 1081–1105.
Henderson, Ian G., et al. "Evidence for declines in populations of grassland-associated birds
in marginal upland areas of Britain: Capsule We report large declines among summer
populations between 1968–80 and 2000." Bird Study 51.1 (2004): 12-19.

4. O'Donoghue, Barry, Timothy A. O'Donoghue, and Frank King. "Opinion Article: The Hen
Harrier in Ire;and: Conservation for the 21st
Century." Biology & Environment: Proceedings of
the Royal Irish Academy. Vol. 111. No. 2. The Royal Irish Academy, 2011.
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assessment." Ecology Consulting. Durham, Iso-Britannia (2003).
Ruddock, M. & Dunlop, B.J., O’Toole, L., Mee, A., Nagle, T. (2012) Republic of Ireland
National Hen Harrier Survey 2010. Irish Wildlife Manual, No. 59. National Parks and Wildlife
Service, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Dublin, Ireland.
Wilson, M.W., Irwin, S., Norriss, D.W., Newton, S.F., Collins, K., Kelly, T.C. & O’Halloran, J.
2009. The importance of pre-thicket conifer plantations for nesting Hen Harriers Circus
cyaneus in Ireland. Ibis 151: 332–343.
Wilson, M.W., Irwin, S., O’Donoghue, B., Kelly, T. & O’Halloran, J.2010. The use of forested
landscapes by Hen Harriers in Ireland. COFORD Connects Note, Dublin.
Whitfield, D. P., and M. Madders. "A review of the impacts of wind farms on hen harriers
Circus cyaneus and an estimation of collision avoidance rates." Unpublished report, Natural
Research Ltd, Banchory, Aberdeenshire, Scotland (2006).