Amy Burns said the success of the curlew is testimony to the work staff have done on the project.

The RSPB said the Antrim Plateau this season saw the breeding population increase from 37 pairs last year to 52 pairs this year. Katie Gibb, RSPB NI’s conservation officer for the Antrim Plateau, said this success is the accumulation of four years of dedicated conservation work and commitment from their team and farming partners.

An “incredible improvement” in curlew numbers in Northern Ireland is being celebrated. The distinctive birds, with their long bills and hauntings calls, were once common in the region but had declined by almost 82% since 1987 to just 150 breeding pairs and were described as facing the threat of extinction.