RSPB plans to coax corncrakes to land and breed on Rathlin Island

By Conor MacauleyBBC NI Agriculture & Environment Correspondent

3 March 2016

Conservationists are planting nettles on Rathlin Island in an attempt to trick an endangered species into landing and breeding there.

They hope to fool Scottish corncrakes flying from Africa to spring breeding grounds in the highlands.

Rathlin is in the flight path of the migrating birds, which were once common here, but have all but died out.

There is still a breeding population in Scotland and the RSPB hopes some may return to the County Antrim island.

Corncrake numbers began to decline in Northern Ireland with changes to farming.

Their crek-crek call was a signal that summer was on its way.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-35718644