Project Footprint
SPA site code | Site name |
|---|---|
4231 | Inishbofin, Omey & Turbot Island |
4093 | Termoncarragh Lake and Annagh Machair SPA |
4227 | Mullet Peninsula |
4229 | West Donegal Islands |
4083 | Inishbofin, Inishdooey & Inishbeg |
4073 | Tory Island |
4149 | Falcarragh to Meenlaragh |
4148 | Fanad Head |
4146 | Malin Head |
The Natura Communities Corncrake Project operates across a nationally significant conservation footprint stretching through Donegal, Mayo and Galway, broadly following the core geography established under the previous Corncrake LIFE project. These western landscapes continue to hold Ireland’s principal breeding strongholds for the species and remain the focus of intensive conservation delivery.
This footprint is not defined simply by where corncrakes occur today, but by a wider landscape approach that recognises the ecological systems supporting their recovery. At its core are the project’s priority breeding strongholds and associated farmland mosaics, where habitat management, nest protection and community-led conservation actions are concentrated.
Alongside this, the project has a strong focus on the network of Special Protection Areas (SPAs) within the footprint. These designated sites form the backbone of the programme, not only for corncrake conservation but for the protection and enhancement of wider qualifying interests and Natura 2000 objectives. At this scale, the project works to improve habitat condition, strengthen ecological connectivity and contribute to favourable conservation outcomes across the SPA network.
Beyond designated sites, the footprint extends into the wider farmed landscape where corncrakes continue to occur, whether in established breeding clusters, peripheral territories or emerging recolonisation areas. This wider farmland element is essential to the project’s landscape-scale approach, recognising that corncrake recovery depends not only on protected sites but also on the surrounding working landscapes that provide breeding habitat, dispersal routes and opportunities for expansion.
Together, these three interlinked layers — core breeding landscapes, the SPA network, and the wider farmland matrix — define a project footprint that is both geographic and ecological. It reflects a shift from site-based protection alone towards integrated landscape conservation, where species recovery, habitat management and community stewardship are delivered across connected places rather than isolated sites. This broader footprint underpins the project’s ambition to secure corncrake recovery while generating wider benefits for farmland biodiversity across the west of Ireland.