Avian flu and costs among reasons for loss of captive birds at Castle Espie

The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) will transfer all captive birds from Castle Espie to other WWT sites from November, and stop offering guided school tours. The changes reflect the charity’s financial pressures, alongside avian flu and post-Brexit difficulties moving birds; they have prompted concern about lost opportunities for environmental education.

Castle Espie’s captive collection has fallen from around 500 birds to fewer than 100. WWT says avian influenza and restrictions on bird movements since Brexit contributed to the decline, while rising costs and a sizeable deficit have driven wider cost-cutting. Schools will still be able to make self-guided visits, but SDLP MLA Cara Hunter warned that these may be less accessible to schools with limited resources.