IF YOU ARE visiting one of Ireland’s many coastal or island bird colonies this summer you are being asked to keep a distance from the wildlife.

The Irish Wildlife Trust and BirdWatch Ireland have asked visitors not to touch the birds, their nests and eggs.

Photographers and children chasing birds are among the worst offenders says IWT Campaigns Officer, Pádraic Fogarty:

Last year we received a number of complaints about a minority of people behaving inappropriately, such as photographers walking among gannet nests and children chasing birds… People need to remember that disturbing birds is against the law.

All breeding birds in Ireland are protected under the Wildlife Act 1976 and people should keep their distance, even though many coastal birds seem quite tame.

Ireland’s coastal habitats and islands are among the most important areas in Europe for breeding seabirds such as puffins, cormorants, razorbills and a variety of gulls.

Breeding grounds such as the Saltee Islands in Wexford, Ireland’s Eye in Dublin and the Skelligs in Kerry are among the most popular visiting grounds and thousands of people visit them every year.

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