The first osprey chicks from a new National Parks and Wildlife Service reintroduction programme are being released into the wild this weekend in Co Waterford.
The programme was established with the hope of reintroducing the iconic bird of prey, and follows a historic sighting of a breeding pair and their chicks at a nesting site in Northern Ireland earlier this week.
It is the first recorded case of an osprey pair breeding on the island in over 200 years.
Ospreys are migratory, apex birds of prey. They are known for flying high above water before plunging almost vertically to catch fish.
They tend to remain loyal and faithful to their mates, and to their nesting sites, returning year after year to the same location.
They can live up to 20 years in the wild in large structures at the top of very high trees, cliff edges and coastal rocks.
As many as 50 osprey chicks could be released over the next five years as part of the NPWS release programme.
The osprey chicks released this weekend came from Norway. They are expected to fly away on a migratory journey to Africa in the weeks ahead.
It is hoped they will then return repeatedly each year and establish a national breeding population here.
Philip Buckley, who heads up the NPWS osprey re-introduction programme, thanked the farming community in the southeast for their engagement and co-operation with the project.
Similar to the white-tailed eagle reintroduction programme, the osprey chicks were cared for and nurtured at a secure location when they arrived from Norway before they were ready to be released.
Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan, said news of a breeding pair being sited in Northern Ireland is very exciting.
He said it is a positive sign of the quality of habitats on this island and gives reason for great hope that these chicks will eventually breed here too.
The Minister said it serves as a reminder that biodiversity action can, and does, yield positive returns.
