Bord na Móna has confirmed that a pair of common cranes have nested at a bog in Co. Offaly for the seventh consecutive year.

The pair have successfully reared five chicks in the last three years, and have recently been spotted at the nesting spot by a Bord na Móna ecologist.

Following careful monitoring, it has been established that the pair are once again incubating eggs.

According to Bord na Móna, breeding cranes are a "returning species" in Ireland, as cranes were formerly lost as a breeding bird.

It said that initial breeding attempts were made by a single pair in 2019, 2020, and 2021.

This followed successful breeding in 2022, 2023, and 2024, which marks the first time in several hundred years that the species is part of Ireland's breeding avifauna.

An ecologist at Bord na Móna monitoring the birds since 2022, Chris Cullen believes that the birds are benefitting from habitat improvements associated with Bord na Móna's Peatland Climate Action Scheme (PCAS).

He said: "Over the last two breeding periods, the nesting pair and their young have been seen utilising recently rehabilitated cutaway peatlands for feeding and shelter.

"It appears a nascent breeding population is possibly becoming established, with clear links to rehabilitated peatlands in terms of usage," Cullen added.

The PCAS is a large-scale peatlands restoration project administered by the Department of the Environment, Climate, and Communications, and regulated by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

It is hoped that the ongoing development of wetland habitats following rehabilitation under the present scheme will continue to support the expansion of this newly returned species in Ireland.

The location of the nest is confidential in order to protect and conserve the birds.

However, Bord na Móna has confirmed that the site is situated on a cutaway bog formerly used to harvest peat for energy production.