Bird expert not afraid to ruffle feathers

Lifestyle –  Fascinated by wildlife since childhood, John Lusby tells Judy Murphy about the importance of birds of prey to eco-system

John Lusby is up with the lark these days. The raptor expert with Birdwatch Ireland is keeping an eye on the sparrowhawks, kestrels, owls and other birds of prey that can be found along the west coast and ensuring that the populations are in good health.

It’s a busy season for them, so it’s a busy season for him. The day we meet, he’s just back from the Burren, having been there since 5am, checking on the breeding birds

The Oranmore native, who recently presented the Galway programme in RTÉ’s series Wild Cities, says of these birds of prey, “the more you get to know and learn, you see the benefits of studying them”.

These birds are “sentinels into the health of the environment,” he explains, “because they are at the top of the food chain. And having them around shows that the rest of the eco-system is in balance”.

For instance, studying barn owls helped to reveal a species of shrew that had previously been unknown in Ireland – the owls feed on this tiny animal, but its existence was only discovered because of birdwatchers.

That may be regarded as specialist stuff, but the health of these raptors has implications for humans too. For instance, studying birds such as owls, which live on rodents, shows the effects of rat poison and rodenticides on wildlife. That affects all of us.

Before rat poison was invented, barn owls were vital for killing rats – such was their value that farm buildings were designed to accommodate and encourage them, explains John. That’s no surprise, as a pair of barn owls could kill 25 rodents a night while feeding their chicks.

Owls still kill rats, but these days, poison has entered the food chain. John cites a case were 70 owls were tested that had died from other causes and more than 85 per cent of them had detectable levels of rat poison in their systems. As a result, there has been greater awareness that rat poison should be used more responsibly.  “It has helped to change how it is used,” says John.

In the 1950s and 60s, the chemical DDT was widely used as an insecticide in agriculture. Slowly, it became clear that this chemical was affecting the peregrine falcon population. As a result, its dangers to all animals, including humans, became apparent.

DDT didn’t actually kill the peregrines, John explains. But it weakened their eggshells to such an extent that the birds didn’t reproduce and there was a time when peregrine falcons were on the verge of extinction in the UK.

They were also affected in Ireland but since the 1970s, the population has been recovering, although illegal poisoning has had had a big negative impact on all birds of prey.

“One of the issues some people have with birds of prey is that they hunt and feed on other animals,” he says. But this is part of nature, and necessary in a healthy countryside.

“Birds of prey keep other populations in check, many of which are considered ‘pest’ species and also help to clear carcasses by scavenging,” he stresses.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.