BirdWatch Ireland releases new 'Wildlife in Buildings' video

A nature documentary has been produced to celebrate the wildlife which have taken up residence in the built environment, showcasing how some of our most iconic wildlife species are reliant on buildings for their survival.

BirdWatch Ireland and CrowCrag Productions produced the feature to raise awareness of the importance of buildings for many of our wildlife, in partnership with Laois County Council, Clare County Council and Tipperary County Council and supported by the National Biodiversity Action Plan Fund of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Breaking down the barriers that only people live in buildings, and wildlife lives in "nature", this video illustrates that for as long as people have built structures for protection and shelter, wildlife has taken advantage of these buildings for the very same reasons.

House Sparrow is a species synonymous with built-up areas (Peter Miles).

John Lusby of BirdWatch Ireland commented: "At a time when retrofitting of buildings is proposed at large scale to tackle climate change, and we are losing many of our older stone structures, we wanted to highlight the importance of buildings for wildlife and to create a better link between our built environment and our natural heritage – as the two are intertwined.

"The diversity of species which use buildings and the ways in which they have adapted to use the built environment are astonishing. As the built environment is constantly changing, we need to make sure that we avoid disturbance to sensitive species and also to continue to provide space for wildlife in buildings, which has benefits for wildlife as well as ourselves. We hope that this video increases awareness and appreciation of the importance of the built environment for wildlife and provides the necessary information to help conserve some of our most vulnerable and iconic wildlife which are dependent on buildings for their survival."

Certain species are expected residents within our buildings, and for some the association with buildings is apparent even from their names, such as the House Martin and Barn Swallow. The vision of a Barn Owl floating silently from a ruined building at dusk may seem familiar, but less expected occupants may be a pair of Common Kestrels nesting in a flower box outside a busy kitchen window, or a female Pine Marten raising her kits in the roof space of an occupied dwelling. Of course, much of the wildlife which use buildings go unnoticed, such as bats roosting in the attic of a house.

Given the importance of buildings for wildlife, changes to the built environment can affect wildlife associated with it. Wildlife in buildings can often be harmed during works due to a lack of awareness of their presence or indeed knowledge of how plan renovations and works in order to avoid disturbance, which is almost always possible. The loss of old stone structures due to demolition, dilapidation or renovation is linked to declines in species such as Barn Owl and Common Swift, which are dependent on these structures. Modern buildings do not provide the same opportunities for wildlife. However, there is a lot that we can do to improve modern buildings for wildlife to ensure that we continue to make space for nature.

Roisin O'Grady, Heritage Officer with Tipperary County Council, said: "We share the world with nature and it can be closer to us than we think. Tipperary County Council is delighted to support this film highlighting the importance of our built environment, heritage or otherwise in providing shelter for such a variety of species, some of which are our most vulnerable. Given the high levels of habitat loss we have experienced over the last number of years it is more important than ever to be aware of how species have adapted to our built environment and how we can support this 'co-habitation' and equally important in newer development how we 'make space' for nature."
 
The video, Wildlife in Buildings: linking our built and natural heritage, can be watched below, with an accompanying guidance booklet available online here.

Wildlife in Buildings: linking our built and natural heritage was produced by BirdWatch Ireland, Kerry County Council and Donegal County Council, with funding from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage through the National Biodiversity Action Plan Fund.