a norfolk reed thatch is better quality then a straw thatch. check the quality of the netting on the thatch and the ridge these are usually the problem. these keep the birds out.
we have plastered a new build with a thatched roof in a suffolk village, the locals did not like it at all. the reed was purchased from turkey.
in the netherlands they use an imitation thatch made from fibreglass.
if i remember correctly, irish spread ,eddie said that he had worked as a thatcher