Man on a Mission – Seán Ronayne Wants to Record Every Bird in Ireland

For Seán Ronayne, birds have been a lifelong passion. Since childhood, he has been obsessed with identifying different species of birds in Ireland. Ultimately, this led him to become an ornithologist. However, now he has undertaken a more ambitious project. 

Source: Irish Times/YouTube

Royane hopes to record and identify every bird found in Ireland. He is already well on his way, having identified 194 of the most commonly found species. The Irish ornithologist is also a dedicated conservationist. He hopes that his project will bring attention to the importance of preserving and reintroducing wild spaces in Ireland.

The subject of a documentary called Birdsong, which is currently in production, Royane explains the impact human activity is having on Irish birds. The proliferation of cow fields, conifer farms, and other agricultural, and natural resource-based industries in Ireland has hurt bird species. These types of agricultural operations change the landscape, negatively impacting the habitat that is available for different species of birds. According to Royane, the crisis is acute. Ninety percent of Ireland’s natural wetlands have been lost, and only one percent of the country is covered by native trees. 

This has led to a crisis for many of the country’s birds. Once common, the hen harrier has been reduced to a population of only 85 documented laying pairs. This species is not alone. Of Ireland’s native bird species, a whopping 63 percent are at risk of extinction. 

Through his work, Royane helps raise awareness of the issues facing Ireland’s birds. Not only is he working to record every species of Irish bird, but he has also released an album called Wild Silence featuring nature sounds which include some of these avian crooners. Other recordings can be found on his Soundcloud. Seán Ronayne can also be found on Instagram at @irishwildlifesounds.

Sign this petition to Help Protect Birds!

Animals Are My Favorite People by Tiny Rescue: Animal Collection

Related Content: 

• Petition: Help Save Kiwi Birds in New Zealand
• Nepal’s Birds in Peril: Pollution Causes Startling Deformities 
• Research Finds that Humans Have Driven Twice as Many Birds to Extinction Than Previously Thought
• American Birds are Being Renamed. Here’s Why!
• Heat Waves Threaten Baby Birds’ Survival  

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take initiative by standing up against fast fashion Pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that raise awareness around important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade repeatedly.
• Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
• Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and important stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!