For what is believed to be the first occasion in centuries, woodpeckers have begun to breed in the forests of Killarney. After walkers reported a consistent sound of tapping on a tree trunk, great spotted woodpeckers have been discovered in Killarney National Park. The unique rhythmic noise, which can be heard from far away, has led to the identification of a mating pair and their chicks by a conservation ranger. This marks the inaugural recorded breeding of woodpeckers in the park.
The chicks’ exact location, or the specific tree in which they reside, has not been disclosed. However, their increasingly loud vocalizations each day indicate their nearing readiness to fly the nest.
Eamonn Meskell, the NPWS’s divisional manager at Killarney National Park, has expressed immense delight at this finding. He mentioned that woodpeckers prefer regions with matured trees, as the specific tap tap noise suggests that the birds are building a home. According to him, Killarney offers the ideal environment to nest and forage, due to its mature oak woodland.
Large portions of oak and other woodland in Killarney, like many locations, were wiped out during the 17th and 18th centuries. The subsequent deforestation led to the extinction of great spotted woodpeckers in Ireland. In 2013, a great spotted woodpecker was spotted for the first time in Killarney National Park, specifically in the Tomies Wood area situated in the westernmost part of the 10,000ha reserve.
This recent event is considered significant as it documents the first breeding activity in the park’s core section. Sam Bayley, a conservation ranger at the Killarney National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), confirmed the breeding during a bird ringing exercise as part of a British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) scheme. Thereafter, reports of fledglings came in from wildlife enthusiasts and avid bird observers.
Niall Ó Donnchú, the director general of NPWS, noted that such accounts exemplify some of the surprising wonders that our national parks and nature reserves might offer, and that the staff make significant efforts to safeguard them. The great spotted woodpecker, comparable in size to a starling, is distinguishable by its black and white hues and scarlet red beneath their tails in both males and females.