2026 Headstarting Programmes 🐣
Headstarting & Nest Protection Manager Donal Beagan shares what’s in store for the 2026 season.
Building on the successes of 2024 and 2025, we’re excited to keep the momentum goin because consistency is key.
Be sure to also check out the update from our project partners at Fota Wildlife Park and Dublin Zoo!
#collaborativeconservation
@npwsireland@atu_ie@ucdagfood@deptagrifoodmarine
🌱 Breeding Season Has Officially Begun
From March 01st to July 31st, many of Ireland’s breeding waders and other ground‑nesting
birds will be nesting, laying eggs, and raising chicks.
Minister for Heritage, Nature & Biodiversity Christopher O’Sullivan TD, together with the
Breeding Waders EIP Senior Project Manager, are highlighting the urgent need to protect
these vulnerable species. Breeding waders are experiencing severe declines in Ireland, and
they need our help now more than ever.
If you enjoy spending time outdoors, please keep the following in mind to help protect parent
birds, eggs, and chicks during this crucial time:
🐦 How You Can Help
• Stay on designated roads and footpaths during the breeding season
• Do not approach nesting birds or chicks
• Keep all dogs on a lead at all times in high nature areas
• Avoid driving off‑road
• Keep disturbance to a minimum
The Breeding Waders EIP, and the NPWS, have implemented a range of conservation
actions to support these species. Your cooperation can make a real difference to the
success of the 2026 breeding season.
📣 Please share this message with anyone who enjoys nature or outdoor recreation.
Let’s all enjoy Ireland’s landscapes responsibly, while giving wildlife the space it needs to
thrive.
#CollaborativeConservation @npwsireland@christopher_o_sullivan_td@birdwatchireland@deptcee@fotawildlife@atugalwaycity@dublinzoo_official@droimeanncattlesociety
Drone searches
Our lead Ecologist, Dr. Andrea Parisi, takes us through how drones and thermal imaging
are used to detect Eurasian Curlew nests for headstarting.
Make sure to check out part 2 to see what the drone detected.
#collaborationconservation
@fotawildlife@dublinzoo_official@atu_ie@ucdnature@npwsireland@deptagrifoodmarine
Ballybunion Nature Group had a fantastic day visiting our 3 local primary schools with Sally and Sarah from the Breeding Waders EIP to present to over 300 children with lots of information about our precious Breeding Wader birds locally. Focusing on our delightful Ringed Plovers along with Curlews, Dunlins, Golden Plovers, Snipes and many more, the children heard all about these birds, heard their sounds, saw the chicks, learning about the threats they face every day and offering advice to help keep them all a little safer.
Special thanks to the children, their teachers and staff for their willingness to become involved and to become Ambassadors for the Breeding Waders ad to Sarah and Sally for giving amazing, informative and really fun presentations.
Scoil Iosagain
Kilconly
Lisselton
Did you know it's nesting season?🪺 March 1st - July 31st. We have so many beautiful birds on the Aran Islands, some ground nesting birds here include the Lapwing (picture 2&3) & the Oystercatcher (picture 4).
A big thank you to the Breeding Waders EIP @breedingwaders for gifting these informative signs to CFOAT. Have you seen them?
An raibh a fhios agat gur séasúr neadaithe atá ann? 🪺
1 Márta - 31 Iúil. Tá an oiread sin éan áille againn ar Oileáin Árann, i measc cuid de na héin a neadaíonn ar an talamh anseo tá an Pilibín (pictiúr 2&3) agus an Roilleach (pictiúr 4).
Buíochas mór le Breeding Waders EIP as na comharthaí seo a bhronnadh ar CFOAT. An bhfaca tú iad?
Photo Credit: @sliceofaran (Lapwing & Oystercatcher)
#breedingwaders #groundnestingbirds #cfoat #aran biodiversity #nestingseason
Dublin Zoo is proud to be part of the Breeding Waders EIP, supporting the conservation of one of Ireland’s most threatened bird species, the curlew 🐦🌱
As a headstarting partner, Dublin Zoo is helping to give curlew chicks the best possible start by supporting the collection, incubation, hatching and rearing of eggs from vulnerable nest sites. Once the chicks are strong enough, they will be released back into the wild, significantly improving their chances of survival.
With curlew populations having declined dramatically in recent decades, projects like this are an important part of helping secure the future of this amazing species 💚
We look forward to sharing more updates on the project in the months ahead 🪺
@breedingwaders@fotawildlife
#CurlewConservation #PassionForWildlife #ConservationMatters #DublinZoo
Headstarting season has kicked off! Fota Wildlife Park is thrilled to be part of the @breedingwaders EIP Project again this year.
We already have some curlew eggs here in the Park from the wild and our Ranger Jess is talks us through the process which involves, incubating, hatching, and rearing the chicks until they’re strong enough to be released. Once they reach the fledgling stage, the young birds are returned back into the wild population, giving them a significantly higher chance of survival during the most vulnerable period of their lives. This process is only used in emergency situations, which, unfortunately, these birds are currently facing.
Be sure to follow along ourselves, the @breedingwaders and @dublinzoo_official for lots more updates this headstarting season!
#collaborativeconservation
@deptagrifoodmarine@npwsireland@ucdagfood@atu_ie
#ConservationInAction #headstarting2026 #curlew
On 29th April, a fire - which the NI Fire Service say was deliberately started - raged through a bog in Slieve Beagh. It would have destroyed a curlew nest had it not been for the efforts of the fire service, Roisin Kearney @rspb_ni , Donal Beagan @breedingwaders and John Cusack @sliabhbeaghcurlew . Link in bio @rteradio1 Countrywide to hear them talk about what happened ⭐️
Feel Good Friday!! ✨️ Lapwing Chicks using our recently created Wader Scrape in Lough Gara
This lovely footage was captured by one of our Project Officers working in the area.
As always, the welfare of the birds comes first — all filming was carried out under licence and from a safe distance to avoid disturbance.
It is incredibly rewarding to see our capital actions, delivered through collaboration between the landowner and the Breeding Waders EIP, producing such positive results.
#collaborativeconservation
@fotawildlife@dublinzoo_official@atu_ie@ucdagfood@deptagrifoodmarine@npwsireland
