Rare birds lost following 'devastating' Darwen Moor fire

Curlews, which are globally threatened, lost up to 40% of their population due to the Darwen Moors fire

A moorland fire may have destroyed over 300 breeding pairs of rare birds, said wildlife experts.

Last month, firefighters in Lancashire tackled a blaze on Darwen Moor that burned over 5km (3 miles) of moorland.

The area is a designated breeding site for ground-nesting birds such as the skylark and curlew who have been hit badly, said Lancashire Wildlife Trust.

Fire crews believe the the fire on 30 May was started by a disposable barbecue found nearby.

LWT campaigns manager Alan Wright said, following the blaze, curlews were down by 40% in the area and surviving birds, who nest just once in their lifetime, will not rear chicks.

In total, 13 pairs of waders were lost, which could have produced up to 50 young.

They include six pairs of curlews, 5 pairs of golden plovers, and 2 pairs of snipes.

Other endangered species, such as short-eared owls, were also caught in the fire.

"Fires like are devastating to habitats, and this was particularly bad as many ground-nesting birds lived in the area.

"Plants and insects were also affected badly - meaning that the birds who are left have nothing to feed on," he added.

Firefighters tackled the blaze for two days, which spread across 5km of moorland

Stephen Martin, a consultant ornithologist, said Darwen Moor is an important area for rare birds.

"Some of the species were already facing a massive decline, the fire just added to it, it's unfortunate," he said.

"The fire happened in a particularly important area, as it was a designated breeding site for many birds. Some will hopefully lay new eggs in the near future, but others will not."

The affected habitat may take between 10-15 years to recover, according to Mr Martin.