Up to 30 young red kite chicks were introduced to the wilds in Co Wicklow yesterday as the start of the programme to restore this native bird of prey to Ireland after an absence of 200 years.
Minister for the Environment John Gormley, who was present as red kite chicks from Wales were released, said the project reflected what can be achieved in Ireland in terms of protecting and enhancing our natural heritage.
The red kite was once common and widespread in these islands and became extinct in Ireland in the 18th century due to persecution, poisoning and woodland clearance.
Since 2000, a series of restoration projects have begun to return birds of prey to Ireland. Mr Gormley described the red kites as a "significant addition to our biodiversity and a wonderful complement to the golden eagle and white-tailed eagle restoration projects".
"This work is at the core of one of the heritage elements in the programme for government and I am delighted to see this early progress," he added.
The Wicklow Red Kite Project is a partnership between the Golden Eagle Trust, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Welsh Kite Trust and is funded by grants from the Minister's department and the Heritage Council.
Good views of flying red kites can be expected at various locations in Co Wicklow over the next few months. The first signs of breeding from the birds is expected by 2010.
Mr Gormley paid tribute yesterday to the persistent hard work of the Golden Eagle Trust, whose vision and work had been so productive in recent years. "This and the other eagle projects could only come to fruition through co-operation between conservationists, landowners and the department. The kite project is an excellent model for the future," he said.
Project manager Damian Clarke said as a native of Wicklow he was delighted the county has been chosen as the first release site for the reintroduction of this spectacular bird to Ireland.
Tony Cross, of the Welsh Kite Trust, said it was great that Welsh birds were being used as they were most similar genetically to what Ireland had in the past.
"It also gives the project a nice Celtic link which has gone down well with Welsh farmers who have generously allowed some of 'their' birds to be collected." The birds released yesterday are individually marked with numbered wing tags so that they can be relocated and their survival monitored.
Although the birds are natural scavengers, they feed extensively on earthworms, small mammals such as rats and rabbits and birds such as magpies and other crows. The red kite does not present any threat to livestock.