Osprey to be reintroduced to Ireland

Osprey is to be reintroduced to Ireland after an absence of some 250 years, the Irish National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has revealed.

NPWS is working with colleagues in Norway to prepare for Osprey's reintroduction to Ireland, with the scheme reportedly set to begin this summer.

Darragh O'Brien, Ireland's Minister of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, confirmed the plans. Answering a parliamentary question, O'Brien said: "NPWS plans to reintroduce Osprey this year," adding that NPWS is "collaborating with colleagues in Norway to supply a small number of chicks to be released in the south-eastern part of Ireland during the summer months."

Osprey will be reintroduced to south-east Ireland this summer (Nick Brown).

With its coasts, estuaries and lakes, south-east Ireland offers both the freshwater and saltwater habitats favoured by Ospreys. Co Waterford and Co Wexford have therefore been identified for the reintroduction sites.

The Irish Wildlife Trust tweeted to say that it was "thrilled" by the plans.

Osprey was once a familiar sight across Ireland, but was hunted to the point of extirpation in the late 1700s. However, the successful reintroductions of Red Kite and White-tailed and Golden Eagles in recent years suggests that there is no reason why Osprey too cannot prosper in modern Ireland.