Cranes in Wexford

cameramonkey

I notice that the 5 cranes that have been in Tacumshin seem to be still there as recently as 4 Feb (Irishbirding.com). Is there a chance that they will spend the rest of the winter there and remain through the breeding period? what is the normal trigger for cranes to head south for winter?

V_Moth

It would be very unlikely that they will breed as they need extensive and undisturbed wetland (marshy) areas to breed which don't really exist in Ireland any more. I would think they will stay until late February or early March before heading back to Scandinavia or eastern Europe.

The main trigger would be for heading south would be snow or ice covering their breeding areas. Formerly, almost all birds would head south to winter in North Africa and Spain, but more and more are staying in northern Germany and southern Scandinavia as they increasingly remain ice-free.

Birdnuts

V_Moth wrote: »

It would be very unlikely that they will breed as they need extensive and undisturbed wetland (marshy) areas to breed which don't really exist in Ireland any more. I would think they will stay until late February or early March before heading back to Scandinavia or eastern Europe.

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I think that potential wetlands park on the upper Shannon boglands would be quiet suiteable for this species with some decent habitat availiable. The main problem I see with Cranes becoming estaiblished as a breeding bird is their vulnerablity to ground predators like mink who have invaded most of these type of wetland habitats. Apparently Crane chicks take alot longer to mature than many other ground nesting birds which makes them very vulnerable in this way.

V_Moth

Well, I was wrong. What were most likely the Tacumshin Cranes were just seen heading north along the Wicklow coast near the ECNR and Kilcoole. See the BWI Facebook page for full details.