Man claims small bird population 'wiped out' in an area around Laois

THERE is concern in the Crettyard area of the county that raptures such as vultures have killed and driven off the wild bird population from around the countryside over the past few years.

Speaking with the ‘Laois Nationalist’ local man Peter Kealy said: “There used to be loads of birds around here. But now you can drive from here to Portlaoise and you won’t see one small bird anywhere along the road.

“There’s plenty of crows and magpies, but there’s no thrushes, robins, blackbirds or finches. There’s something gone terribly wrong.

“I used to go hunting and shooting in the autumn and you’d see 20 or 30 pigeons picking in fields after the corn been cut, now there’s none. Not one pigeon in the fields.

"The population of birds have been wiped out around here. For some reason all the small birds are gone. I go to Castlecomer a lot and I haven’t seen any birds on that road either.” 

He said: “I used to have birds around my house with two acres and you’d see them. Now there’s none. I think what’s happening is, there’s two or three big birds - vultures – I see flying around, that some smart-ass thought was a good idea to bring into the country from Africa a few years ago, that’s after killing and driving off the small birds.” 

Mr Kealy said: “I’m not the only one saying it. Talking to other lads in the pub, they’re saying it too. They have noticed there’s no small birds for miles around. They’re saying they’ve never seen anything like it either.” 

Wildlife conservationist and Biodiversity Officer at Offaly County Council Ricky Whelan said what Mr Kealy might have seen were buzzards, not vultures.

Mr Whelan said buzzards would not normally target small birds, rather magpies, pheasants or roadkill. While sparrow hawks, would prey on small birds such as robins and thrushes.

He said he was not aware of any special circumstances why there would be no birds around the Crettyard area. He said during colder weather conditions birds would stock up on berries for the winter months ahead and gather in flocks.

He said the population of thrushes and robins are in decline, not just around the Crettyard area, but elsewhere, but to determine to what extent in a local area a targeted survey would be needed.