The chair of the Irish Curlew Task Force has said they have a plan to save the curlew which is in danger of extinction.

The curlew population is currently 138 pairs, a decrease of 96% in almost 30 years.

Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland Alan Lauder said curlews like large open spaces and with their habitats becoming fragmented, "that's why we are losing them".

Mr Lauder said: "We had so many thousands and now we are on the brink of extinction. We could be seeing single figures and functionally they are extinct at that point."

Read More: On a wing and a prayer: Battle to save the Irish Curlew

He said at the moment they are found in small numbers in mainly western counties on the remnants of the bogs and high grassland.

He said the task force set up to try to save the birds have come up with a range of recommendations.

One is trying to get the birds to breed more.

"Adults can survive well and escape predation easily but chicks don't so we need to protect them."