Almost one third of Ireland's bird species are in decline, according to two new studies.
The Birds in Europe and Birds in the European Union studies, by BirdLife International, show that 31 per cent, or 47 species, face an uncertain future here.
Mr Ed Parnell, spokesman for BirdLife International, said these birds were not in immediate danger of extinction, but if current trends continued unabated, they would eventually become extinct in Ireland.
Global warming, intensive farming practices and land development are some of the reasons given for the decline in bird numbers. The drainage of lowland river valleys and upland habitats and the removal of hedges that protected nesting and feeding birds have all contributed to the fall in numbers.
Global warming has affected some migratory species of birds that spend summers here and travel to sub-Saharan Africa for the winter months.
However, Mr Parnell pointed out that the Republic fared quite well compared with other countries. Some 33 per cent of birds in Britain are in danger while the figure in Spain is 46 per cent. Overall in Europe, 43 per cent of bird species face an uncertain future. He said species such as waders, migratory birds and farmland birds were facing major problems across Europe.
The northern lapwing was of particular concern in this State because of intensive agricultural practices and the drainage of habitats, he said. The lapwing has seen its population fall by more than 30 per cent in Europe. However, 14 species have seen their fortunes improve in the past decade. The European Union's Birds Directive has been credited with seeing increases in some rare seabirds and birds of prey.
The Republic now has the second biggest gannet population in the world, after Britain, with 33,000 pairs in this State. Peregrine falcon numbers have also increased significantly here, with 350 pairs of this rare species logged.
Ms Clairie Papazoglou, head of BirdLife's European office, said the EU had promised to halt the loss of wildlife in Europe by 2010. "The latest Birds in Europe assessment highlights the sheer enormity of that task," she said.
