One of Ireland's rarest birds under threat of extinction

THEY MAY be the bane of the gardener’s life but weeds such as the dandelion and thistle could be the key to the survival of one of Ireland’s rarest native birds.

The twite, a member of the finch family, is at high risk of becoming extinct, according to Dr Derek McLoughlin, an ornithologist who recently completed his PhD on “The Ecology of the Twite in Ireland”.

A cousin of the linnet, the small brown-streaked songbird was once common around the entire Irish coastline but changes in land use, has led to its demise in many areas.

“It’s future is very dependent on what happens in agriculture in Ireland, which is now very much in flux,” said Dr McLoughlin. “If people abandon farming it may spell the death knell of the twite.”

His figures suggest that the plight of the twite is even more serious than that of the corncrake, a species also dependent on adapted farming practices for its survival. It has been estimated that at its lowest levels there were 100 breeding corncrakes in  the country. Dr McLoughlin said that because it is a small brown bird which is hard to identify, the fate of the twite has aroused little public concern, which he said  raises questions about our value system from a conservation point of view.

“The twite is actually the lowest common denominator from a biodiversity point of view and if we take steps to ensure its survival we will also protect other species such as the red grouse,  the yellowhammer and the bumble bee.”

The twite lives on seeds and depends on such maligned weeds as the dandelion, sorrel, thistle and chickweed to survive.

Dr McLoughlin pointed out that it has survived in Gaeltacht areas where traditional farming practices are still used.

Overgrazing and undergrazing pose real threats for the survival of the bird.

“The twite has been pushed out to Gaeltacht areas, perhaps mirroring the decline in the Irish language which also seems to have been pushed out to more isolated coastal areas,” he said.

Following an extensive study started in 2005, when he was a science research graduate at the Institute of Technology in Sligo, Dr McLoughlin found there are between 50 and 100 breeding pairs in Ireland and that about 90 per cent of the twite population is based in north Mayo or west Donegal.

The bird’s lifespan is short, from two to six years, and severe winters can have a big impact on mortality. Small numbers can be found in the Ballisodare Bay area of Co Sligo and in west Kerry,  probably due to a surge in the winter season population when birds migrate from Scotland.

The twite is one of 18 birds on Bird Watch Ireland’s red list because of its rapid decline in population.