List of birds of Ireland
Encyclopedia
This is a list of the bird species recorded in Ireland. The avifauna of Ireland
includes a total of 457 species, of which 3 have been introduced
by humans, 247 are rare or accidental, and one occurs as both an introduced species and an accidental. 11 species are globally threatened.
Ireland has a relatively low diversity of breeding birds due to its isolation. Several species such as Tawny Owl
, Eurasian Nuthatch
and Willow Tit
which breed in Great Britain
have not been recorded. However, there are large colonies of seabird
s including important populations of European Storm Petrel, Northern Gannet
and Roseate Tern
. Other notable breeding birds include Corn Crake
and Red-billed Chough
. There are no endemic species but there are endemic subspecies
of White-throated Dipper
, Coal Tit
and Eurasian Jay
.
Large numbers of wildfowl and waders winter in Ireland, attracted by the mild climate. About half the world population of Greenland White-fronted Goose spends the winter. During autumn, many migrating seabirds can be seen off the coasts including several species of skua
s, shearwater
s and petrel
s. Ireland's westerly position means that North American birds are regularly recorded in autumn.
This list's taxonomic
treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families, and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) largely follow the conventions of Clements
's 5th edition although some names more commonly used by Irish birdwatchers are taken from the Irish Rare Birds Committee (IRBC) list. The family accounts at the beginning of each heading reflect the Clements taxonomy, as do the species counts found in each family account. Introduced and *accidental species are included in the total counts for Ireland. The total includes three examples of birds that have been accepted onto the official list without being identified to species: frigatebird
sp., Fea's
or Zino's Petrel
and Black
or White-tailed Wheatear.
The total does not include species placed in Category D of the Irish list. These are species where there is doubt as to whether they have occurred in a wild state (Category D1), they have arrived by human assistance such as on board a ship (D2), they have only been recorded dead on the tideline (D3), or they are feral species whose populations may not be self-sustaining (D4).
The following tags have been used to highlight certain relevant categories, but not all species fall into one of these categories. Those that do not are commonly occurring, native species.
. Family: Gaviidae
Divers, also known as loons, are a group of aquatic birds found in many parts of North America and northern Europe. They are the size of a large duck or small goose, which they somewhat resembles in shape when swimming, but they completely unrelated to these waterfowl. There are about 5 species worldwide and 4 species which occur in Ireland.
Grebe
s are small to medium-large sized freshwater diving birds. They have lobed toes, and are excellent swimmers and divers. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land. There are about 20 species worldwide and 6 species which occur in Ireland.
. Family: Diomedeidae
The albatrosses are among the largest of flying birds, and the great albatrosses from the genus Diomedea have the largest wingspans of any extant birds. There are about 21 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
. Family: Procellariidae
The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized 'true petrels', characterised by united nostrils with a medium septum, and a long outer functional primary. There are about 75 species worldwide. 8 species have been identified in Ireland and there are also records of either Fea's Petrel or Zino's Petrel which have not been conclusively assigned to either species.
. Family: Hydrobatidae
The storm-petrel
s are relatives of the petrel
s, and are the smallest of sea-birds. They feed on plankton
ic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat
-like. There are about 21 species worldwide and 5 species which occur in Ireland.
. Family: Sulidae
The sulids comprise the gannet
s and boobies
. Both groups comprise medium-to-large coastal sea-birds that plunge-dive for fish. There are about 9 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
. Family: Phalacrocoracidae
The Phalacrocoracidae is a family of medium-to-large coastal, fish-eating sea-birds that includes cormorants and shags. Plumage colouration varies with the majority having mainly dark plumage, some species being black and white, and a few being colourful. There are about 38 species worldwide and 3 species which occur in Ireland.
. Family: Fregatidae
Frigatebird
s are large sea-birds usually found over tropical oceans. They are large, black and white or completely black, with long wings and deeply-forked tails. The males have inflatable coloured throat pouches. They do not swim or walk, and cannot take off from a flat surface. Having the largest wingspan to body weight ratio of any bird, they are essentially aerial, able to stay aloft for more than a week. There are 5 species worldwide and there have been several records of unidentified frigatebirds in Ireland.
. Family: Ardeidae
The family Ardeidae contains the bittern
s, heron
s and egret
s. Herons and egrets are medium to large sized wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more wary. Unlike other long-necked birds suck as storks, ibises and spoonbills, members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted. There are about 61 species worldwide and 11 species which occur in Ireland.
. Family: Ciconiidae
Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked, wading birds with long, stout bills. Storks are mute; bill-clattering is an important mode of stork communication at the nest. Their nests can be large and may be reused for many years. Many species are migratory. There are about 19 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Ireland.
. Family: Threskiornithidae
The Threskiornithidae is a family of large terrestrial and wading birds which includes the ibis
es and spoonbill
s. They have long, broad wings with 11 primary and about 20 secondary feathers. They are strong fliers and despite their size and weight, very capable soarers. There are about 36 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Ireland.
Flamingo
s are gregarious wading birds, usually 3 to 5 feet high, found in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. They are more numerous in the latter. Flamingos filter-feed on shellfish and algae. Their oddly-shaped beaks are specially adapted to separate mud and silt from the food they consume, and are uniquely used upside-down. There are about 6 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland, though the possibility of escapes has meant that the species is only on Category D of the Irish list.
. Family: Anatidae
The family Anatidae includes the duck
s and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese
and swan
s. These are birds that are modified for an aquatic existence with webbed feet, flattened bills and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating. There are about 131 species worldwide and 49 species which occur in Ireland plus two in Category D.
. Family: Pandionidae
The Pandionidae family contains only one species, the Osprey. The Osprey is a medium large raptor
which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution.
. Family: Accipitridae
Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey and include hawk
s, eagle
s, kites
, harriers
and Old World vultures. These birds have powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons, and keen eyesight. There are about 233 species worldwide and 15 species which occur in Ireland plus one in Category D.
. Family: Falconidae
Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey. They differ from hawks, eagles, and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their feet. There are about 62 species worldwide and 7 species which occur in Ireland.
. Family: Tetraonidae
Grouse are game birds, similar to quails and partridge. There are about 18 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Ireland, including one former native species which is now extinct.
. Family: Phasianidae
The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds which consists of quail
s, partridge
s, snowcock
s, francolin
s, spurfowls, tragopan
s, monal
s, pheasant
s, peafowl
s and jungle fowls. In general, they are plump (although they may vary in size) and have broad, relatively short wings. There are about 156 species worldwide and 3 species which occur in Ireland plus one in category D.
. Family: Gruidae
Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances". There are about 15 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Ireland.
. Family: Rallidae
Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coot
s, and gallinule
s. Typically they inhabit dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps, or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs, and have long toes which are well adapted to soft, uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and be weak fliers. There are about 143 species worldwide and 9 species which occur in Ireland.
. Family: Otididae
Bustards are large terrestrial birds mainly associated with dry open country and steppes in the Old World
. They are omnivorous and nest on the ground. They walk steadily on strong legs and big toes, pecking for food as they go. They have long broad wings with "fingered" wingtips, and striking patterns in flight. Many have interesting mating displays. There are about 26 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Ireland.
. Family: Haematopodidae
The oystercatcher
s are large and noisy plover
-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs. There are about 11 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
. Family: Recurvirostridae
Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds, which includes the avocet
s and the stilt
s. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills. There are about 9 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Ireland.
. Family: Burhinidae
The thick-knees are a group of largely tropical waders in the family Burhinidae. They are found worldwide within the tropical zone, with some species also breeding in temperate Europe and Australia. They are medium to large waders with strong black or yellow black bills, large yellow eyes and cryptic plumage. Despite being classed as waders, most species have a preference for arid or semi-arid habitats. There are about 9 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
. Family: Glareolidae
Glareolidae is a family of wading birds comprising the pratincole
s, which have short legs, long pointed wings and long forked tails, and the courser
s, which have long legs, short wings and long pointed bills which curve downwards. There are about 17 species worldwide and 3 species which occur in Ireland.
. Family: Charadriidae
The family Charadriidae includes the plover
s, dotterels, and lapwing
s. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water, although there are some exceptions. There are about 66 species worldwide and 12 species which occur in Ireland.
. Family: Scolopacidae
The Scolopacidae are a large diverse family of small to medium sized shorebirds including the sandpipers, curlew
s, godwit
s, shanks
, tattler
s, woodcock
s, snipe
s, dowitcher
s and phalarope
s. The majority of species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enable different species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food. There are about 89 species worldwide and 50 species which occur in Ireland.
. Family: Stercorariidae
The family Stercorariidae are, in general, medium to large birds, typically with grey or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings. They nest on the ground in temperate and arctic regions and are long-distance migrants. There are about 7 species worldwide and 4 species which occur in Ireland.
. Family: Laridae
Laridae is a family of medium to large birds seabirds and includes gull
s and kittiwake
s. They are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet. There are about 55 species worldwide and 21 species which occur in Ireland.
. Family: Sternidae
Tern
s are a group of generally general medium to large sea-birds typically with grey or white plumage, often with black markings on the head. Most terns hunt fish by diving but some pick insects off the surface of fresh water. Terns are generally long-lived birds, with several species now known to live in excess of 25 to 30 years. There are about 44 species worldwide and 14 species which occur in Ireland plus two Category D species.
. Family: Alcidae
Alcids are superficially similar to penguins due to their black-and-white colours, their upright posture and some of their habits, however they are not related to the penguins bnd differ in being able to fly. Auks live on the open sea, only deliberately coming ashore to nest. There are about 24 species worldwide and 7 species which occur in Ireland including one species now globally extinct.
Sandgrouse have small, pigeon like heads and necks, but sturdy compact bodies. They have long pointed wings and sometimes tails and a fast direct flight. Flocks fly to watering holes at dawn and dusk. Their legs are feathered down to the toes. There are about 16 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
. Family: Columbidae
Pigeons and dove
s are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere
. There are about 308 species worldwide and 6 species which occur in Ireland.
. Family: Cuculidae
The family Cuculidae includes cuckoo
s, roadrunner
s and anis
. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails and strong legs. Unlike the cuckoo species of the Old World, North American cuckoos are not brood parasites. There are about 138 species worldwide and 4 species which occur in Ireland.
Barn owl
s are medium to large sized owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long strong legs with powerful talons. There are about 16 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
Typical owl
s are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey. They have large forward-facing eyes and ears, a hawk-like beak, and a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk. There are about 195 species worldwide and 5 species which occur in Ireland.
. Family: Caprimulgidae
Nightjar
s are medium-sized nocturnal birds with long wings, short legs and very short bills that usually nest on the ground. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is camouflaged to resemble bark or leaves. There are about 86 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Ireland.
. Family: Apodidae
Swift
s are small aerial birds, spending the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings that resemble a crescent or a boomerang. There are about 98 species worldwide and 6 species which occur in Ireland.
. Family: Alcedinidae
Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails. There are about 93 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Ireland.
. Family: Meropidae
The bee-eaters are a group of near passerine
birds in the family Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa but others occur in southern Europe, Madagascar, Australia and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies and usually elongated central tail feathers. All are colorful and have long downturned bills and pointed wings, which give them a swallow-like appearance when seen from afar. There are about 26 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
. Family: Coraciidae
Rollers resemble crow
s in size and build, but are more closely related to the kingfisher
s and bee-eater
s. They share the colourful appearance of those groups with blues and browns predominating. The two inner front toes are connected, but the outer toe is not. There are about 12 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
. Family: Upupidae
Hoopoes have black, white and orangey-pink colouring with a large erectile crest on their head. There are about 2 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
. Family: Picidae
Woodpeckers are small to medium sized birds with chisel like beaks, short legs, stiff tails and long tongues used for capturing insects. Some species have feet with two toes pointing forward, and two backward, while several species have only three toes. Many woodpeckers have the habit of tapping noisily on tree trunks with their beaks. There are about 218 species worldwide and 4 species which occur in Ireland plus one in Category D.
Larks are small terrestrial birds with often extravagant songs and display flights. Most larks are fairly dull in appearance. Their food is insects and seeds. There are about 91 species worldwide and 4 species which occur in Ireland.
The Hirundinidae family is a group of passerines characterized by their adaptation to aerial feeding. Their adaptations include a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings and short bills with wide gape. The feet are designed for perching rather than walking, and the front toes are partially joined at the base. There are about 75 species worldwide and 5 species which occur in Ireland plus one in Category D.
The Motacillidae are a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They include the wagtails, longclaws and pipits. They are slender, ground feeding insectivores of open country. There are about 54 species worldwide and 14 species which occur in Ireland.
The kinglets or crests are a small group of birds often included in the Old World warblers, but frequently given family status because they also resemble the titmice
. There are about 7 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Ireland.
The waxwing
s are a group of passerine birds characterized by soft silky plumage and unique red tips to some of the wing feathers. In the Bohemian and Cedar Waxwings, these tips look like sealing wax, and give the group its name. These are arboreal birds of northern forests. They live on insects in summer and berries in winter. There are 3 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
Dippers are a group of perching birds whose habitat includes aquatic environments in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. They are named for their bobbing or dipping movements. There are 5 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
The wren
s are mainly small and inconspicuous except for their loud songs. These birds have short wings and a thin down-turned bill. Several species often hold their tails upright. All are insectivorous. There are about 80 species worldwide (of which all but one are New World species) and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
The mimids are a family of passerine birds that includes thrasher
s, mockingbird
s, trembler
s, and the New World catbirds. These birds are notable for their vocalizations, especially their ability to mimic a wide variety of birds and other sounds heard outdoors. Their colouring tends towards dull greys and browns . There are about 35 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
The accentors are in the only bird family, Prunellidae, which is completely endemic to the Palearctic
. They are small, fairly drab species superficially similar to sparrow
s. There are 13 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
The thrushes
are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly in the Old World. They are plump, soft plumaged, small to medium-sized insectivores or sometimes omnivores, often feeding on the ground. Many have attractive songs. There are about 176 species worldwide and 13 species which occur in Ireland.
The Cisticolidae are warblers found mainly in warmer southern regions of the Old World. They are generally very small birds of drab brown or grey appearance found in open country such as grassland or scrub. There are about 111 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
The family Sylviidae is a group of small insectivorous passerine birds. The Sylviidae mainly occur as breeding species, as the common name implies, in Europe, Asia and, to a lesser extent Africa. Most are of generally undistinguished appearance, but many have distinctive songs. There are about 291 species worldwide and 35 species which occur in Ireland.
Old World flycatchers and chats are a large group of small passerine birds native to the Old World. They are mainly small arboreal insectivores. The appearance of these birds is very varied, but they mostly have weak songs and harsh calls. There about 274 species worldwide and 18 species which occur in Ireland including a record of a bird accepted as either Black Wheatear or White-tailed Wheatear.
The parrotbills are a group of birds native to East and Southeast Asia, though feral populations are known from elsewhere. They are generally small, long-tailed birds which inhabit reedbeds and similar habitats. There are about 20 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
Long-tailed tits are a group of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They make woven bag nests in trees. Most eat a mixed diet that includes insects. There are about 9 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
The Paridae are mainly small stocky woodland species with short stout bills. Some have crests. They are adaptable birds, with a mixed diet including seeds and insects. There are about 59 species worldwide and 4 species which occur in Ireland.
Treecreepers are small woodland birds, brown above and white below. They have thin pointed down-curved bills, which they use to extricate insects from bark. They have stiff tail feathers, like woodpeckers, which they use to support themselves on vertical trees. There are about 6 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
The Old World Orioles are colourful passerine birds. They are not related to the New World orioles. There are about 29 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
Shrikes are passerine birds known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns. A typical shrike's beak is hooked, like a bird of prey. There are about 31 species worldwide and 6 species which occur in Ireland.
The Corvidae family includes crow
s, raven
s, jay
s, chough
s, magpie
s, treepie
s, nutcracker
s, and ground jay
s. Corvids are above average in size for the bird order Passeriformes. Some of the larger species show high levels of learning behavior. There are about 120 species worldwide and 8 species which occur in Ireland plus one in Category D.
Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds. Their flight is strong and direct, and they are very gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country. They eat insects and fruit. Plumage is typically dark with a metallic sheen. There are about 125 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Ireland.
The vireo
s are a group of small to medium sized passerine birds restricted to the New World. They are typically greenish in colour and resemble wood warbler
s apart from their heavier bills. There are about 52 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Ireland.
The New World warbler
s are a group of small, often colourful, passerine birds restricted to the New World. Most are arboreal, but some are terrestrial. Most members of this family are insectivores. There are about 119 species worldwide and 11 species which occur in Ireland.
The tanager
s are a large group of small to medium-sized passerine birds restricted to the New World, mainly in the tropics. Many species are brightly coloured. They are seed eaters, but their preference tends towards fruit and nectar. Most have short, rounded wings. There are about 256 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
The emberizids are a large family of passerine birds. They are seed-eating birds with a distinctively shaped bill. In Europe, most species are named as buntings. In North America, most of the species in this family are known as sparrows, but these birds are not closely related to the Old World sparrows which are in the family Passeridae. Many emberizid species have distinctive head patterns. There are species 275 worldwide and 16 species which occur in Ireland plus one in Category D.
The cardinals are a family of passerine birds that are robust, seed-eating birds, with strong bills. They are typically associated with open woodland. The sexes usually have distinct plumages. There are about 43 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Ireland.
The icterids are a group of small to medium, often colourful, passerine birds restricted to the New World and include the grackle
s, New World blackbird
s, and New World oriole
s. Most species have black as the predominant plumage colour, often enlivened by yellow, orange or red. There are about 98 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Ireland.
Finch
es are seed-eating passerine birds, that are small to moderately large and have a strong beak, usually conical and in some species very large. All have 12 tail feathers and 9 primaries. These birds have a bouncing flight with alternating bouts of flapping and gliding on closed wings, and most sing well. There are about 137 species worldwide and 15 species which occur in Ireland plus one in Category D.
Sparrow
s are small passerine birds. In general, sparrows tend to be small, plump, brown or grey birds with short tails and short powerful beaks. Sparrows are seed-eaters, and they also consume small insects. There are about 35 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Ireland.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
includes a total of 457 species, of which 3 have been introduced
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
by humans, 247 are rare or accidental, and one occurs as both an introduced species and an accidental. 11 species are globally threatened.
Ireland has a relatively low diversity of breeding birds due to its isolation. Several species such as Tawny Owl
Tawny Owl
The Tawny Owl or Brown Owl is a stocky, medium-sized owl commonly found in woodlands across much of Eurasia. Its underparts are pale with dark streaks, and the upperparts are either brown or grey. Several of the eleven recognised subspecies have both variants...
, Eurasian Nuthatch
Eurasian Nuthatch
The Eurasian Nuthatch, Sitta europaea, is a small passerine found throughout temperate Europe and Asia, although not in Ireland. It belongs to the nuthatch family Sittidae....
and Willow Tit
Willow Tit
The Willow Tit is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a widespread and common resident breeder throughout temperate and subarctic Europe and northern Asia. It is more of a conifer specialist than the closely related Marsh Tit, which explains it breeding much further north...
which breed in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
have not been recorded. However, there are large colonies of seabird
Seabird
Seabirds are birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same environmental problems and feeding niches have resulted in similar adaptations...
s including important populations of European Storm Petrel, Northern Gannet
Northern Gannet
The Northern Gannet is a seabird and is the largest member of the gannet family, Sulidae.- Description :Young birds are dark brown in their first year, and gradually acquire more white in subsequent seasons until they reach maturity after five years.Adults are long, weigh and have a wingspan...
and Roseate Tern
Roseate Tern
The Roseate Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a number of geographical races, differing mainly in bill colour and minor plumage details....
. Other notable breeding birds include Corn Crake
Corn Crake
The Corn Crake, Corncrake or Landrail is a bird in the rail family. It breeds in Europe and Asia as far east as western China, and migrates to Africa for the winter...
and Red-billed Chough
Red-billed Chough
The Red-billed Chough or Chough , Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax, is a bird in the crow family; it is one of only two species in the genus Pyrrhocorax...
. There are no endemic species but there are endemic subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of White-throated Dipper
White-throated Dipper
The White-throated Dipper , also known as the European Dipper or just Dipper is an aquatic passerine bird found in Europe, Middle East, Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. The species is divided into several subspecies, based primarily on colour differences, particularly of the pectoral band...
, Coal Tit
Coal Tit
The Coal Tit, Periparus ater, is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a widespread and common resident breeder throughout temperate to subtropical Eurasia and northern Africa. The Spot-winged Tit The Coal Tit, Periparus ater, is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a...
and Eurasian Jay
Eurasian Jay
The Eurasian Jay is a species of bird occurring over a vast region from Western Europe and north-west Africa to the Indian Subcontinent and further to the eastern seaboard of Asia and down into south-east Asia...
.
Large numbers of wildfowl and waders winter in Ireland, attracted by the mild climate. About half the world population of Greenland White-fronted Goose spends the winter. During autumn, many migrating seabirds can be seen off the coasts including several species of skua
Skua
The skuas are a group of seabirds with about seven species forming the family Stercorariidae and the genus Stercorarius. The three smaller skuas are called jaegers in North America....
s, shearwater
Shearwater
Shearwaters are medium-sized long-winged seabirds. There are more than 30 species of shearwaters, a few larger ones in the genus Calonectris and many smaller species in the genus Puffinus...
s and petrel
Petrel
Petrels are tube-nosed seabirds in the bird order Procellariiformes. The common name does not indicate relationship beyond that point, as "petrels" occur in three of the four families within that group...
s. Ireland's westerly position means that North American birds are regularly recorded in autumn.
This list's taxonomic
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...
treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families, and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) largely follow the conventions of Clements
James Clements
Dr. James Franklin Clements was an ornithologist, author and very successful businessman. He was born in New York....
's 5th edition although some names more commonly used by Irish birdwatchers are taken from the Irish Rare Birds Committee (IRBC) list. The family accounts at the beginning of each heading reflect the Clements taxonomy, as do the species counts found in each family account. Introduced and *accidental species are included in the total counts for Ireland. The total includes three examples of birds that have been accepted onto the official list without being identified to species: frigatebird
Frigatebird
The frigatebirds are a family, Fregatidae, of seabirds. There are five species in the single genus Fregata. They are also sometimes called Man of War birds or Pirate birds. Since they are related to the pelicans, the term "frigate pelican" is also a name applied to them...
sp., Fea's
Fea's Petrel
Fea's Petrel is a small seabird in the gadfly petrel genus, Pterodroma. It was previously considered to be a subspecies of the Soft-plumaged Petrel, P. mollis, but they are actually not closely related at all. However, P. feae is very closely related to Zino's Petrel and Deserta's Petrel, two...
or Zino's Petrel
Zino's Petrel
The Zino's Petrel or Freira, Pterodroma madeira, is a small seabird in the gadfly petrel genus which is endemic to the island of Madeira. This long-winged petrel has a grey back and wings, with a dark "W" marking across the wings, and a grey upper tail...
and Black
Black Wheatear
The Black Wheatear, Oenanthe leucura, is a wheatear, a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae....
or White-tailed Wheatear.
The total does not include species placed in Category D of the Irish list. These are species where there is doubt as to whether they have occurred in a wild state (Category D1), they have arrived by human assistance such as on board a ship (D2), they have only been recorded dead on the tideline (D3), or they are feral species whose populations may not be self-sustaining (D4).
The following tags have been used to highlight certain relevant categories, but not all species fall into one of these categories. Those that do not are commonly occurring, native species.
- (A) Accidental A species that rarely or accidentally occurs in Ireland.
- (I) Introduced A species introduced to Ireland as a consequence, direct or indirect, of human actions.
Table of contents |
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Non-passerines: Divers . Grebes . Albatrosses . Shearwaters and petrels . Storm petrels . Boobies and gannets . Cormorants . Frigatebirds . Bitterns, herons and egrets . Storks . Ibises and spoonbills . Flamingos . Ducks, geese and swans . Osprey . Hawks, kites and eagles . Falcons . Grouse . Pheasants and partridges . Cranes . Rails, crakes, gallinules, and coots . Bustards . Oystercatchers . Avocets and stilts . Thick-knees . Pratincoles and coursers . Plovers and lapwings . Sandpipers and allies . Skuas . Gulls . Terns . Auks . Sandgrouse . Pigeons and doves . Cuckoos . Barn owls . Typical owls . Nightjars . Swifts . Kingfishers . Bee-eaters . Typical rollers . Hoopoes . Woodpeckers and allies . |
Passerines: Larks . Swallows and martins . Wagtails and pipits . Kinglets . Waxwings . Dippers . Wrens . Mockingbirds and thrashers . Accentors . Thrushes and allies . Cisticolas and allies . Old World warblers . Old World flycatchers . Parrotbills . Long-tailed tits . Tits . Treecreepers . Old World orioles . Shrikes . Crows, jays, ravens and magpies . Starlings . Vireos . New World warblers . Tanagers . Buntings and New World sparrows . Cardinals and allies . Troupials and allies . Finches . Sparrows . |
See also References |
Divers
Order: GaviiformesGaviiformes
Gaviiformes is an order of aquatic birds containing the loons or divers and their closest extinct relatives. Modern gaviiformes are found in many parts of North America and northern Eurasia , though prehistoric species were more widespread.-Classification and evolution:There are five living...
. Family: Gaviidae
Divers, also known as loons, are a group of aquatic birds found in many parts of North America and northern Europe. They are the size of a large duck or small goose, which they somewhat resembles in shape when swimming, but they completely unrelated to these waterfowl. There are about 5 species worldwide and 4 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Red-throated Diver Red-throated Diver The Red-throated Loon or Red-throated Diver is a migratory aquatic bird found in the northern hemisphere. It breeds primarily in Arctic regions, and winters in northern coastal waters. It is the most widely distributed member of the loon or diver family. Ranging from in length, the Red-throated... |
Gavia stellata | |
Black-throated Diver Black-throated Diver The Black-throated Loon is a migratory aquatic bird found in the northern hemisphere. The species is known as an Arctic Loon in North America and the Black-throated Diver in Eurasia, its current name is a compromise proposed by the International Ornithological Committee.-Taxonomy:The... |
Gavia arctica | (A) |
Great Northern Diver Great Northern Diver The Great Northern Loon, Great Northern Diver, or Common Loon , is a large member of the loon, or diver, family of birds... |
Gavia immer | |
White-billed Diver | Gavia adamsii | (A) |
Pacific Diver | Gavia pacifica | (A) |
Grebes
Order: Podicipediformes. Family: PodicipedidaeGrebe
Grebe
A grebe is a member of the Podicipediformes order, a widely distributed order of freshwater diving birds, some of which visit the sea when migrating and in winter...
s are small to medium-large sized freshwater diving birds. They have lobed toes, and are excellent swimmers and divers. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land. There are about 20 species worldwide and 6 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Little Grebe Little Grebe The Little Grebe , also known as Dabchick, member of the grebe family of water birds. At 23 to 29 cm in length it is the smallest European member of its family. It is commonly found in open bodies of water across most of its range.-Description:The Little Grebe is a small water bird with a pointed... |
Tachybaptus ruficollis | |
Pied-billed Grebe Pied-billed Grebe The Pied-billed Grebe is a species of the grebe family of water birds. Since the Atitlán Grebe, Podilymbus gigas, has become extinct, it is the sole extant member of the genus Podilymbus.-Description:... |
Podilymbus podiceps | (A) |
Red-necked Grebe Red-necked Grebe The Red-necked Grebe is a migratory aquatic bird found in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. Its wintering habitat is largely restricted to calm waters just beyond the waves around ocean coasts, although some birds may winter on large lakes... |
Podiceps grisegena | |
Great Crested Grebe Great Crested Grebe The Great Crested Grebe is a member of the grebe family of water birds.- Description :The Great Crested Grebe is long with a wingspan. It is an excellent swimmer and diver, and pursues its fish prey underwater. The adults are unmistakable in summer with head and neck decorations... |
Podiceps cristatus | |
Slavonian Grebe Slavonian Grebe The Horned Grebe or Slavonian Grebe, Podiceps auritus, is a member of the grebe family of water birds. The Slavonian Grebe is an excellent swimmer and diver, and pursues its fish prey underwater... |
Podiceps auritus | |
Black-necked Grebe Black-necked Grebe The Black-necked Grebe, Podiceps nigricollis, known in North America as the Eared Grebe, is a member of the grebe family of water birds. It occurs on every continent except Australia and Antarctica.-Taxonomy:There are three subspecies:*P. n... |
Podiceps nigricollis | (A) |
Albatrosses
Order: ProcellariiformesProcellariiformes
Procellariiformes is an order of seabirds that comprises four families: the albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters, storm petrels, and diving petrels...
. Family: Diomedeidae
The albatrosses are among the largest of flying birds, and the great albatrosses from the genus Diomedea have the largest wingspans of any extant birds. There are about 21 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Black-browed Albatross Black-browed Albatross The Black-browed Albatross or Black-browed Mollymawk, Thalassarche melanophrys, is a large seabird of the albatross family Diomedeidae, and it is the most widespread and common albatross.-Taxonomy:... |
Thalassarche melanophris | (A) |
Shearwaters and petrels
Order: ProcellariiformesProcellariiformes
Procellariiformes is an order of seabirds that comprises four families: the albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters, storm petrels, and diving petrels...
. Family: Procellariidae
Procellariidae
The family Procellariidae is a group of seabirds that comprises the fulmarine petrels, the gadfly petrels, the prions, and the shearwaters. This family is part of the bird order Procellariiformes , which also includes the albatrosses, the storm-petrels, and the diving petrels.The procellariids are...
The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized 'true petrels', characterised by united nostrils with a medium septum, and a long outer functional primary. There are about 75 species worldwide. 8 species have been identified in Ireland and there are also records of either Fea's Petrel or Zino's Petrel which have not been conclusively assigned to either species.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Northern Fulmar Northern Fulmar The Northern Fulmar, Fulmarus glacialis, Fulmar, or Arctic Fulmar is a highly abundant sea bird found primarily in subarctic regions of the north Atlantic and north Pacific oceans. Fulmars come in one of two color morphs: a light one which is almost entirely white, and a dark one which is... |
Fulmarus glacialis | |
Fea's Petrel Fea's Petrel Fea's Petrel is a small seabird in the gadfly petrel genus, Pterodroma. It was previously considered to be a subspecies of the Soft-plumaged Petrel, P. mollis, but they are actually not closely related at all. However, P. feae is very closely related to Zino's Petrel and Deserta's Petrel, two... |
Pterodroma feae | (A) |
Zino's Petrel Zino's Petrel The Zino's Petrel or Freira, Pterodroma madeira, is a small seabird in the gadfly petrel genus which is endemic to the island of Madeira. This long-winged petrel has a grey back and wings, with a dark "W" marking across the wings, and a grey upper tail... |
Pterodroma madeira | (A) |
Bulwer's Petrel Bulwer's Petrel The Bulwer's Petrel is a small petrel in the family Procellariidae, and is one of two species in the genus Bulweria . This bird is named after the Scottish naturalist James Bulwer.- Description :... |
Bulweria bulwerii | (A) |
Cory's Shearwater Cory's Shearwater The Cory's Shearwater is a large shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae.This species breeds on islands and cliffs in the Mediterranean, with the odd outpost on the Atlantic coast of Iberia. The nest is on open ground or among rocks or less often in a burrow where one white egg is laid,... |
Calonectris diomedea | |
Great Shearwater Great Shearwater The Great Shearwater is a large shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. Its relationships are unclear. It belongs in the group of large species that could be separated as genus Ardenna ; within these, it might be allied with the other black-billed, blunt-tailed species Short-tailed... |
Puffinus gravis | |
Sooty Shearwater Sooty Shearwater The Sooty Shearwater is a medium-large shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. In New Zealand it is also known by its Māori name tītī and as "muttonbird", like its relatives the Wedge-tailed Shearwater and the Australian Short-tailed Shearwater The Sooty Shearwater (Puffinus griseus) is... |
Puffinus griseus | |
Manx Shearwater Manx Shearwater The Manx Shearwater is a medium-sized shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. The scientific name of this species records a name shift: Manx Shearwaters were called Manks Puffins in the 17th century. Puffin is an Anglo-Norman word for the cured carcasses of nestling shearwaters... |
Puffinus puffinus | |
Balearic Shearwater Balearic Shearwater The Balearic Shearwater is a medium-sized shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. It was long regarded a subspecies of the Manx Shearwater; see there for more on the Puffinus puffinus superspecies; following an initial split it was held to be a subspecies of the "Mediterranean Shearwater"... |
Puffinus mauretanicus | |
Macaronesian Shearwater | Puffinus baroli | (A) |
Storm-petrels
Order: ProcellariiformesProcellariiformes
Procellariiformes is an order of seabirds that comprises four families: the albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters, storm petrels, and diving petrels...
. Family: Hydrobatidae
The storm-petrel
Storm-petrel
Storm petrels are seabirds in the family Hydrobatidae, part of the order Procellariiformes. These smallest of seabirds feed on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like.Storm petrels have a cosmopolitan...
s are relatives of the petrel
Petrel
Petrels are tube-nosed seabirds in the bird order Procellariiformes. The common name does not indicate relationship beyond that point, as "petrels" occur in three of the four families within that group...
s, and are the smallest of sea-birds. They feed on plankton
Plankton
Plankton are any drifting organisms that inhabit the pelagic zone of oceans, seas, or bodies of fresh water. That is, plankton are defined by their ecological niche rather than phylogenetic or taxonomic classification...
ic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
-like. There are about 21 species worldwide and 5 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Wilson's Storm Petrel | Oceanites oceanicus | (A) |
European Storm Petrel | Hydrobates pelagicus | |
Band-rumped Storm Petrel | Oceanodroma castro | (A) |
Leach's Storm Petrel | Oceanodroma leucorhoa | |
Swinhoe's Storm Petrel | Oceanodroma monorhis | (A) |
Boobies and gannets
Order: PelecaniformesPelecaniformes
The Pelecaniformes is a order of medium-sized and large waterbirds found worldwide. As traditionally—but erroneously—defined, they encompass all birds that have feet with all four toes webbed. Hence, they were formerly also known by such names as totipalmates or steganopodes...
. Family: Sulidae
Sulidae
The bird family Sulidae comprises the gannets and boobies. Collectively called sulidas, they are medium-large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish and similar prey. The ten species in this family are often considered congeneric in older sources, placing all in the genus Sula...
The sulids comprise the gannet
Gannet
Gannets are seabirds comprising the genus Morus, in the family Sulidae, closely related to the boobies.The gannets are large black and white birds with yellow heads. They have long pointed wings and long bills. Northern gannets are the largest seabirds in the North Atlantic, with a wingspan of up...
s and boobies
Booby
A booby is a seabird in the genus Sula, part of the Sulidae family. Boobies are closely related to the gannets , which were formerly included in Sula.-Description:...
. Both groups comprise medium-to-large coastal sea-birds that plunge-dive for fish. There are about 9 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Northern Gannet Northern Gannet The Northern Gannet is a seabird and is the largest member of the gannet family, Sulidae.- Description :Young birds are dark brown in their first year, and gradually acquire more white in subsequent seasons until they reach maturity after five years.Adults are long, weigh and have a wingspan... |
Morus bassanus |
Cormorants
Order: PelecaniformesPelecaniformes
The Pelecaniformes is a order of medium-sized and large waterbirds found worldwide. As traditionally—but erroneously—defined, they encompass all birds that have feet with all four toes webbed. Hence, they were formerly also known by such names as totipalmates or steganopodes...
. Family: Phalacrocoracidae
The Phalacrocoracidae is a family of medium-to-large coastal, fish-eating sea-birds that includes cormorants and shags. Plumage colouration varies with the majority having mainly dark plumage, some species being black and white, and a few being colourful. There are about 38 species worldwide and 3 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Double-crested Cormorant Double-crested Cormorant The Double-crested Cormorant is a member of the cormorant family of seabirds. It occurs along inland waterways as well as in coastal areas, and is widely distributed across North America, from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska down to Florida and Mexico... |
Phalacrocorax auritus | (A) |
Great Cormorant Great Cormorant The Great Cormorant , known as the Great Black Cormorant across the Northern Hemisphere, the Black Cormorant in Australia and the Black Shag further south in New Zealand, is a widespread member of the cormorant family of seabirds... |
Phalacrocorax carbo | |
European Shag | Phalacrocorax aristotelis |
Frigatebirds
Order: PelecaniformesPelecaniformes
The Pelecaniformes is a order of medium-sized and large waterbirds found worldwide. As traditionally—but erroneously—defined, they encompass all birds that have feet with all four toes webbed. Hence, they were formerly also known by such names as totipalmates or steganopodes...
. Family: Fregatidae
Frigatebird
Frigatebird
The frigatebirds are a family, Fregatidae, of seabirds. There are five species in the single genus Fregata. They are also sometimes called Man of War birds or Pirate birds. Since they are related to the pelicans, the term "frigate pelican" is also a name applied to them...
s are large sea-birds usually found over tropical oceans. They are large, black and white or completely black, with long wings and deeply-forked tails. The males have inflatable coloured throat pouches. They do not swim or walk, and cannot take off from a flat surface. Having the largest wingspan to body weight ratio of any bird, they are essentially aerial, able to stay aloft for more than a week. There are 5 species worldwide and there have been several records of unidentified frigatebirds in Ireland.
- FrigatebirdFrigatebirdThe frigatebirds are a family, Fregatidae, of seabirds. There are five species in the single genus Fregata. They are also sometimes called Man of War birds or Pirate birds. Since they are related to the pelicans, the term "frigate pelican" is also a name applied to them...
sp., probably Magnificent FrigatebirdMagnificent FrigatebirdThe Magnificent Frigatebird was sometimes previously known as Man O'War, reflecting its rakish lines, speed, and aerial piracy of other birds....
Fregata magnificens (A)
Bitterns, herons and egrets
Order: CiconiiformesCiconiiformes
Traditionally, the order Ciconiiformes has included a variety of large, long-legged wading birds with large bills: storks, herons, egrets, ibises, spoonbills, and several others. Ciconiiformes are known from the Late Eocene...
. Family: Ardeidae
The family Ardeidae contains the bittern
Bittern
Bitterns are a classification of birds in the heron family, Ardeidae, a family of wading birds. Species named bitterns tend to be the shorter-necked, often more secretive members of this family...
s, heron
Heron
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
s and egret
Egret
An egret is any of several herons, most of which are white or buff, and several of which develop fine plumes during the breeding season. Many egrets are members of the genera Egretta or Ardea which contain other species named as herons rather than egrets...
s. Herons and egrets are medium to large sized wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more wary. Unlike other long-necked birds suck as storks, ibises and spoonbills, members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted. There are about 61 species worldwide and 11 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Grey Heron Grey Heron The Grey Heron , is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in the milder south and west, but many birds retreat in winter from the ice in colder regions... |
Ardea cinerea | |
Purple Heron Purple Heron The Purple Heron is a wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, breeding in Africa, central and southern Europe, and southern and eastern Asia. The European populations are migratory, wintering in tropical Africa; the more northerly Asian populations also migrate further south within Asia... |
Ardea purpurea | (A) |
Great Egret Great Egret The Great Egret , also known as the Great White Egret or Common Egret, White Heron, or Great White Heron, is a large, widely-distributed egret. Distributed across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world, in southern Europe it is rather localized... |
Ardea alba | (A) |
Little Egret Little Egret The Little Egret is a small white heron. It is the Old World counterpart to the very similar New World Snowy Egret.-Subspecies:Depending on authority, two or three subspecies of Little Egret are currently accepted.... |
Egretta garzetta | |
Squacco Heron Squacco Heron The Squacco Heron, Ardeola ralloides, is a small heron, long, of which the body is , with wingspan. It is of Old World origins, breeding in southern Europe and the Greater Middle East.-Behaviour:... |
Ardeola ralloides | (A) |
Cattle Egret Cattle Egret The Cattle Egret is a cosmopolitan species of heron found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Bubulcus, although some authorities regard its two subspecies as full species, the Western Cattle Egret and the Eastern Cattle Egret... |
Bubulcus ibis | (A) |
Green Heron Green Heron The Green Heron is a small heron of North and Central America. It was long considered conspecific with its sister species the Striated Heron , and together they were called "Green-backed Heron"... |
Butorides virescens | (A) |
Little Blue Heron Little Blue Heron The Little Blue Heron, Egretta caerulea, is a small heron. It breeds from the Gulf states of the USA through Central America and the Caribbean south to Peru and Uruguay. It is a resident breeder in most of its range, but some northern breeders migrate to the southeastern USA or beyond in winter... |
Egretta caerulea | (A) |
Black-crowned Night Heron Black-crowned Night Heron The Black-crowned Night Heron commonly abbreviated to just Night Heron in Eurasia, is a medium-sized heron found throughout a large part of the world, except in the coldest regions and Australasia .-Description:Adults are... |
Nycticorax nycticorax | (A) |
American Bittern American Bittern The American Bittern is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae. New evidence has led the American Ornithologists' Union to move the heron family into the order Pelecaniformes .-Description:... |
Botaurus lentiginosus | (A) |
Great Bittern Great Bittern The Eurasian Bittern or Great Bittern is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae. It is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds applies.-Etymology:... |
Botaurus stellaris | (A) |
Little Bittern Little Bittern The Little Bittern is a wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, native to the Old World, breeding in Africa, central and southern Europe, western and southern Asia, and Madagascar. Birds from temperate regions in Europe and western Asia are migratory, wintering in Africa and further south in... |
Ixobrychus minutus | (A) |
Storks
Order: CiconiiformesCiconiiformes
Traditionally, the order Ciconiiformes has included a variety of large, long-legged wading birds with large bills: storks, herons, egrets, ibises, spoonbills, and several others. Ciconiiformes are known from the Late Eocene...
. Family: Ciconiidae
Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked, wading birds with long, stout bills. Storks are mute; bill-clattering is an important mode of stork communication at the nest. Their nests can be large and may be reused for many years. Many species are migratory. There are about 19 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Black Stork Black Stork The Black Stork Ciconia nigra is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It is a widespread, but rare, species that breeds in the warmer parts of Europe, predominantly in central and eastern regions. This is a shy and wary species, unlike the closely related White Stork. It is seen in... |
Ciconia nigra | (A) |
White Stork White Stork The White Stork is a large bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. Its plumage is mainly white, with black on its wings. Adults have long red legs and long pointed red beaks, and measure on average from beak tip to end of tail, with a wingspan... |
Ciconia ciconia | (A) |
Ibises and spoonbills
Order: CiconiiformesCiconiiformes
Traditionally, the order Ciconiiformes has included a variety of large, long-legged wading birds with large bills: storks, herons, egrets, ibises, spoonbills, and several others. Ciconiiformes are known from the Late Eocene...
. Family: Threskiornithidae
Threskiornithidae
The family Threskiornithidae includes 34 species of large terrestrial and wading birds, falling into two subfamilies, the ibises and the spoonbills. It was formerly known as Plataleidae. The spoonbills and ibises were once thought to be related to other groups of long-legged wading birds in the...
The Threskiornithidae is a family of large terrestrial and wading birds which includes the ibis
Ibis
The ibises are a group of long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae....
es and spoonbill
Spoonbill
Spoonbills are a group of large, long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae, which also includes the Ibises.All have large, flat, spatulate bills and feed by wading through shallow water, sweeping the partly opened bill from side to side...
s. They have long, broad wings with 11 primary and about 20 secondary feathers. They are strong fliers and despite their size and weight, very capable soarers. There are about 36 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Glossy Ibis Glossy Ibis The Glossy Ibis is a wading bird in the ibis family Threskiornithidae.This is the most widespread ibis species, breeding in scattered sites in warm regions of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Atlantic and Caribbean region of the Americas... |
Plegadis falcinellus | (A) |
Eurasian Spoonbill | Platalea leucorodia | (A) |
Flamingos
Order: Phoenicopteriformes. Family: PhoenicopteridaeFlamingo
Flamingo
Flamingos or flamingoes are gregarious wading birds in the genus Phoenicopterus , the only genus in the family Phoenicopteridae...
s are gregarious wading birds, usually 3 to 5 feet high, found in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. They are more numerous in the latter. Flamingos filter-feed on shellfish and algae. Their oddly-shaped beaks are specially adapted to separate mud and silt from the food they consume, and are uniquely used upside-down. There are about 6 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland, though the possibility of escapes has meant that the species is only on Category D of the Irish list.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Greater Flamingo Greater Flamingo The Greater Flamingo is the most widespread species of the flamingo family. It is found in parts of Africa, southern Asia , and southern Europe... |
Phoenicopterus roseus | (Cat. D1) |
Ducks, geese and swans
Order: AnseriformesAnseriformes
The order Anseriformes contains about 150 living species of birds in three extant families: the Anhimidae , Anseranatidae , and the Anatidae, which includes over 140 species of waterfowl, among them the ducks, geese, and swans.All species in the order are highly adapted for an aquatic existence at...
. Family: Anatidae
Anatidae
Anatidae is the biological family of birds that includes ducks, geese and swans. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on all the world's continents except Antarctica and on most of the world's islands and island groups...
The family Anatidae includes the duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
s and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese
Goose
The word goose is the English name for a group of waterfowl, belonging to the family Anatidae. This family also includes swans, most of which are larger than true geese, and ducks, which are smaller....
and swan
Swan
Swans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae...
s. These are birds that are modified for an aquatic existence with webbed feet, flattened bills and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating. There are about 131 species worldwide and 49 species which occur in Ireland plus two in Category D.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Mute Swan Mute Swan The Mute Swan is a species of swan, and thus a member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. It is native to much of Europe and Asia, and the far north of Africa. It is also an introduced species in North America, Australasia and southern Africa. The name 'mute' derives from it being less... |
Cygnus olor | |
Whooper Swan Whooper Swan The Whooper Swan , Cygnus cygnus, is a large Northern Hemisphere swan. It is the Eurasian counterpart of the North American Trumpeter Swan. An old name for the Whooper Swan is Elk; it is so called in Francis Willughby and John Ray's Ornithology of 1676.-Description:The Whooper Swan is similar in... |
Cygnus cygnus | |
Bewick's Swan Bewick's Swan The Tundra Swan is a small Holarctic swan. The two taxa within it are usually regarded as conspecific, but are also sometimes split into two species, Cygnus bewickii of the Palaearctic and the Whistling Swan, C. columbianus proper, of the Nearctic... |
Cygnus columbianus | |
Bean Goose Bean Goose The Bean Goose is a medium to large goose breeding in northern Europe and Asia. It was split into two species by the American Ornithologists' Union in 2007, however it is still regarded as a single species by the British Ornithologists' Union – see below... |
Anser fabalis | |
Pink-footed Goose Pink-footed Goose The Pink-footed Goose is a goose which breeds in eastern Greenland, Iceland and Svalbard. It is migratory, wintering in northwest Europe, especially Great Britain, the Netherlands, and western Denmark... |
Anser brachyrhynchus | |
Greater White-fronted Goose | Anser albifrons | |
Lesser White-fronted Goose Lesser White-fronted Goose The Lesser White-fronted Goose is a goose closely related to the larger White-fronted Goose .It breeds in northernmost Asia, but it is a scarce breeder in Europe. There is a re-introduction scheme in Fennoscandia.... |
Anser erythropus | (A) |
Greylag Goose Greylag Goose The Greylag Goose , Anser anser, is a bird with a wide range in the Old World. It is the type species of the genus Anser.... |
Anser anser | |
Snow Goose Snow Goose The Snow Goose , also known as the Blue Goose, is a North American species of goose. Its name derives from the typically white plumage. The genus of this bird is disputed... |
Chen caerulescens | (A) |
Brent Goose Brent Goose The Brant or Brent Goose, Branta bernicla, is a species of goose of the genus Branta. The Black Brant is an American subspecies. The specific descriptor bernicla is from the same source as "barnacle" in Barnacle Goose, which looks similar but is not a close relation.-Appearance:The Brant Goose is... |
Branta bernicla | |
Barnacle Goose Barnacle Goose The Barnacle Goose belongs to the genus Branta of black geese, which contains species with largely black plumage, distinguishing them from the grey Anser species... |
Branta leucopsis | |
Canada Goose Canada Goose The Canada Goose is a wild goose belonging to the genus Branta, which is native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, having a black head and neck, white patches on the face, and a brownish-gray body.... |
Branta canadensis | (A, I) |
Cackling Goose Cackling Goose The Cackling Goose is a North American bird of the genus Branta of black geese, which contains species with largely black plumage, distinguishing them from the grey Anser species.... |
Branta hutchinsii | (A) |
Red-breasted Goose Red-breasted Goose The Red-breasted Goose is an endangered species of goose in the genus Branta. It is sometimes separated in Rufibrenta but appears close enough to the Brent Goose to make this unnecessary, despite its distinct appearance.- Description :All the species of the Branta genus are distinguished by their... |
Branta ruficollis | (Cat. D1) |
Ruddy Shelduck Ruddy Shelduck The Ruddy Shelduck, Tadorna ferruginea, is a member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. It is in the shelduck subfamily Tadorninae... |
Tadorna ferruginea | (A) |
Common Shelduck Common Shelduck The Common Shelduck is a waterfowl species shelduck genus Tadorna. It is widespread and common in Eurasia, mainly breeding in temperate and wintering in subtropical regions; in winter, it can also be found in the Maghreb... |
Tadorna tadorna | |
Mandarin Duck Mandarin Duck The Mandarin Duck , or just Mandarin, is a medium-sized perching duck, closely related to the North American Wood Duck. It is 41–49 cm long with a 65–75 cm wingspan.-Description:... |
Aix galericulata | (I) |
Eurasian Wigeon | Anas penelope | |
American Wigeon American Wigeon The American Wigeon, also American Widgeon or Baldpate, is a species of wigeon in the dabbling duck genus Anas. If this is split up, all wigeons will go into their old genus Mareca again... |
Anas americana | (A) |
Gadwall Gadwall The Gadwall is a common and widespread duck of the family Anatidae.- Description :The Gadwall is 46–56 cm long with a 78–90 cm wingspan. The male is slightly larger than the female, weighing on average 990 g against her 850 g... |
Anas strepera | |
Baikal Teal Baikal Teal The Baikal Teal , also called the Bimaculate Duck or Squawk Duck, is a dabbling duck that breeds in eastern Russia and winters in East Asia.- Description :... |
Anas formosa | (Cat. D1) |
Green-winged Teal Green-winged Teal The Green-winged Teal is a common and widespread duck that breeds in the northern areas of North America except on the Aleutian Islands. It was considered conspecific with the Common Teal The Green-winged Teal (Anas carolinensis) is a common and widespread duck that breeds in the northern areas of... |
Anas carolinensis | (A) |
Common Teal Common Teal The Eurasian Teal or Common Teal is a common and widespread duck which breeds in temperate Eurasia and migrates south in winter. The Eurasian Teal is often called simply the Teal due to being the only one of these small dabbling ducks in much of its range... |
Anas crecca | |
Mallard Mallard The Mallard , or Wild Duck , is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia.... |
Anas platyrhynchos | |
American Black Duck American Black Duck The American Black Duck is a large dabbling duck. American Black Ducks are similar to Mallards in size, and resemble the female Mallard in coloration, although the Black Duck's plumage is darker... |
Anas rubripes | (A) |
Northern Pintail Northern Pintail The Pintail or Northern Pintail is a widely occurring duck which breeds in the northern areas of Europe, Asia and North America. It is strongly migratory and winters south of its breeding range to the equator... |
Anas acuta | |
Garganey Garganey The Garganey is a small dabbling duck. It breeds in much of Europe and western Asia, but is strictly migratory, with the entire population moving to southern Africa, India Santragachi and Australasia in winter, where large flocks can occur. This species was first described by Linnaeus in 1758... |
Anas querquedula | |
Blue-winged Teal Blue-winged Teal The Blue-winged Teal is a small dabbling duck from North America.-Description:The Blue-winged Teal is long, with a wingspan of , and a weight of . The adult male has a greyish blue head with a white facial crescent, a light brown body with a white patch near the rear and a black tail. The adult... |
Anas discors | (A) |
Northern Shoveler Northern Shoveler The Northern Shoveler , Northern Shoveller in British English, sometimes known simply as the Shoveler, is a common and widespread duck. It breeds in northern areas of Europe and Asia and across most of North America, and is a rare vagrant to Australia... |
Anas clypeata | |
Red-crested Pochard Red-crested Pochard The Red-crested Pochard is a large diving duck.Their breeding habitat is lowland marshes and lakes in southern Europe and southern and central Asia. They are somewhat migratory, and northern birds winter further south and into north Africa.The adult male is unmistakable. It has a rounded orange... |
Netta rufina | (A) |
Common Pochard | Aythya ferina | |
Redhead Redhead (duck) The Redhead is a medium-sized diving duck, 37 cm long with an 84 cm wingspan.The adult male has a blue bill, a red head and neck, a black breast, yellow eyes and a grey back. The adult female has a brown head and body and a darker bluish bill with a black tip.The breeding habitat is... |
Aythya americana | (A) |
Ring-necked Duck Ring-necked Duck The Ring-necked Duck is a smaller diving duck from North America.The adult male is similar in color pattern to the Eurasian Tufted Duck, its relative. It has a grey bill with a white band, a shiny purple head, a white breast, yellow eyes and a dark grey back... |
Aythya collaris | (A) |
Ferruginous Duck Ferruginous Duck The Ferruginous Duck is a medium-sized diving duck from Eurasia. The species is known colloquially by birders as "Fudge Duck".... |
Aythya nyroca | (A) |
Tufted Duck Tufted Duck The Tufted Duck, Aythya fuligula, is a medium-sized diving duck with a population of close to one million birds.- Description :The adult male is all black except for white flanks and a blue-grey bill. It has an obvious head tuft that gives the species its name.The adult female is brown with paler... |
Aythya fuligula | |
Greater Scaup Greater Scaup The Greater Scaup , just Scaup in Europe, or colloquially known as "Bluebill", for its bright blue bill, is small compared to other diving ducks, however it is larger than the closely related Lesser Scaup... |
Aythya marila | |
Lesser Scaup Lesser Scaup The Lesser Scaup is a small North American diving duck that migrates south as far as Central America in winter. It is colloquially known as the Little Bluebill or Broadbill because of its distinctive blue bill... |
Aythya affinis | (A) |
Common Eider Common Eider The Common Eider, Somateria mollissima, is a large sea-duck that is distributed over the northern coasts of Europe, North America and eastern Siberia. It breeds in Arctic and some northern temperate regions, but winters somewhat farther south in temperate zones, when it can form large flocks on... |
Somateria mollissima | |
King Eider King Eider The King Eider is a large sea duck that breeds along northern hemisphere Arctic coasts of northeast Europe, North America and Asia. The birds spend most of the year in coastal marine ecosystems at high latitudes, and migrate to Arctic tundra to breed in June and July... |
Somateria spectabilis | (A) |
Long-tailed Duck Long-tailed Duck The Long-tailed Duck or Oldsquaw is a medium-sized sea duck. It is the only living member of its genus, Clangula; this was formerly used for the goldeneyes, with the Long-tailed Duck being placed in Harelda... |
Clangula hyemalis | |
Common Scoter Common Scoter The Common Scoter is a large sea duck, 43-54 cm in length, which breeds over the far north of Europe and Asia east to the Olenyok River. The American/E Siberian M. americana is sometimes considered a subspecies of M. nigra.It winters further south in temperate zones, on the coasts of Europe as... |
Melanitta nigra | |
Surf Scoter Surf Scoter The Surf Scoter is a large sea duck, which breeds in Canada and Alaska. It is placed in the subgenus Melanitta, along with the Velvet and White-winged Scoters, distinct from the subgenus Oidemia, Black and Common Scoters.It winters further south in temperate zones, on the coasts of the northern USA... |
Melanitta perspicillata | (A) |
Velvet Scoter Velvet Scoter The Velvet Scoter , also called a Velvet Duck or whitewing , is a large sea duck, which breeds over the far north of Europe and Asia west of the Yenisey basin. A small, isolated population nests in eastern Turkey... |
Melanitta fusca | |
Common Goldeneye Common Goldeneye The Common Goldeneye is a medium-sized sea duck of the genus Bucephala, the goldeneyes. Their closest relative is the similar Barrow's Goldeneye.... |
Bucephala clangula | |
Barrow's Goldeneye Barrow's Goldeneye Barrow's Goldeneye is a medium-sized sea duck of the genus Bucephala, the goldeneyes. This bird was named after Sir John Barrow.... |
Bucephala islandica | (A) |
Bufflehead Bufflehead The Bufflehead is a small American sea duck of the genus Bucephala, the goldeneyes. This species was first described by Linnaeus in his Systema naturae in 1758 as Anas albeola.-Description:... |
Bucephala albeola | (A) |
Smew Smew The Smew is a small duck, which is somewhat intermediate between the typical mergansers and the goldeneyes . It is the only member of the genus Mergellus; sometimes included in Mergus, this genus is distinct and might actually be a bit closer to the goldeneyes... |
Mergellus albellus | |
Hooded Merganser Hooded Merganser The Hooded Merganser is a small duck and is the only member of the genus Lophodytes.Hooded Mergansers have a crest at the back of the head which can be expanded or contracted. In adult males, this crest has a large white patch, the head is black and the sides of the duck are reddish-brown... |
Lophodytes cucullatus | (A) |
Red-breasted Merganser Red-breasted Merganser The Red-breasted Merganser is a diving duck.-Taxonomy:The Red-breasted Merganser was one of the many species originally described by Linnaeus in his 18th-century work, Systema Naturae.-Description:... |
Mergus serrator | |
Goosander | Mergus merganser | |
Ruddy Duck Ruddy Duck The Ruddy Duck is a small stiff-tailed duck.Their breeding habitat is marshy lakes and ponds throughout much of North America, and in South America in the Andes. They nest in dense marsh vegetation near water. The female builds her nest out of grass, locating it in tall vegetation to hide it from... |
Oxyura jamaicensis | (I) |
Osprey
Order: FalconiformesFalconiformes
The order Falconiformes is a group of about 290 species of birds that comprises the diurnal birds of prey. Raptor classification is difficult and the order is treated in several ways.- Classification problems :...
. Family: Pandionidae
The Pandionidae family contains only one species, the Osprey. The Osprey is a medium large raptor
Bird of prey
Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Osprey Osprey The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings... |
Pandion haliaetus |
Hawks, kites and eagles
Order: FalconiformesFalconiformes
The order Falconiformes is a group of about 290 species of birds that comprises the diurnal birds of prey. Raptor classification is difficult and the order is treated in several ways.- Classification problems :...
. Family: Accipitridae
Accipitridae
The Accipitridae, one of the two major families within the order Accipitriformes , are a family of small to large birds with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet. They feed on a range of prey items from insects to medium-sized mammals, with a number feeding on carrion and a...
Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey and include hawk
Hawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
s, eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
s, kites
Kite (bird)
Kites are raptors with long wings and weak legs which spend a great deal of time soaring. Most feed mainly on carrion but some take various amounts of live prey.They are birds of prey which, along with hawks and eagles, are from the family Accipitridae....
, harriers
Harrier (bird)
A harrier is any of the several species of diurnal hawks forming the Circinae sub-family of the Accipitridae family of birds of prey. Harriers characteristically hunt by flying low over open ground, feeding on small mammals, reptiles, or birds....
and Old World vultures. These birds have powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons, and keen eyesight. There are about 233 species worldwide and 15 species which occur in Ireland plus one in Category D.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
European Honey-buzzard | Pernis apivorus | (A) |
Red Kite Red Kite The Red Kite is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. The species is currently endemic to the Western Palearctic region in Europe and northwest Africa, though formerly also occurred just... |
Milvus milvus | |
Black Kite Black Kite The Black Kite is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors. Unlike others of the group, they are opportunistic hunters and are more likely to scavenge. They spend a lot of time soaring and gliding in thermals in search of food. Their... |
Milvus migrans | (A) |
White-tailed Eagle White-tailed Eagle The White-tailed Eagle , also known as the Sea Eagle, Erne , or White-tailed Sea-eagle, is a large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which includes other raptors such as hawks, kites, and harriers... |
Haliaeetus albicilla | (A, being reintroduced) |
Bald Eagle Bald Eagle The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle... |
Haliaeetus leucocephalus | (A) |
Eurasian Griffon | Gyps fulvus | (A) |
Western Marsh-Harrier | Circus aeruginosus | |
Hen Harrier Hen Harrier The Hen Harrier or Northern Harrier is a bird of prey. It breeds throughout the northern parts of the northern hemisphere in Canada and the northernmost USA, and in northern Eurasia. This species is polytypic, with two subspecies. Marsh Hawk is a historical name for the American form.It migrates... |
Circus cyaneus | |
Montagu's Harrier Montagu's Harrier The Montagu's Harrier is a migratory bird of prey of the harrier family. Its common name commemorates the British naturalist George Montagu.-Plumage:... |
Circus pygargus | (A) |
Eurasian Sparrowhawk | Accipiter nisus | |
Northern Goshawk | Accipiter gentilis | (A) |
Eurasian Buzzard | Buteo buteo | |
Rough-legged Buzzard Rough-legged Buzzard The Rough-legged Buzzard , called the Rough-legged Hawk in North America, is a medium-large bird of prey. It is found in Arctic and Subarctic regions of North America and Eurasia during the breeding season and migrates south for the winter.The species exhibits a wide variety of plumage patterns... |
Buteo lagopus | (A) |
Greater Spotted Eagle Greater Spotted Eagle The Greater Spotted Eagle , occasionally just called the spotted eagle, is a large bird of prey. Like all typical eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae... |
Aquila clanga | (A) |
Golden Eagle Golden Eagle The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas... |
Aquila chrysaetos | (A, being reintroduced) |
Booted Eagle Booted Eagle The Booted Eagle is a medium-sized bird of prey. It is about in length and has a wingspan of . Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae.... |
Aquila pennatus | (Cat. D1) |
Falcons
Order: FalconiformesFalconiformes
The order Falconiformes is a group of about 290 species of birds that comprises the diurnal birds of prey. Raptor classification is difficult and the order is treated in several ways.- Classification problems :...
. Family: Falconidae
Falconidae
The falcons and caracaras are around 60 species of diurnal birds of prey that make up the family Falconidae. The family is divided into two subfamiles, Polyborinae, which includes the caracaras and forest falcons, and Falconinae, the falcons, kestrels and falconets.-Description:Falcons and...
Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey. They differ from hawks, eagles, and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their feet. There are about 62 species worldwide and 7 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Lesser Kestrel Lesser Kestrel The Lesser Kestrel is a small falcon. This species breeds from the Mediterranean across southern central Asia to China and Mongolia. It is a summer migrant, wintering in Africa and Pakistan and sometimes even to India and Iraq. It is rare north of its breeding range, and declining in its European... |
Falco naumanni | (A) |
Eurasian Kestrel | Falco tinnunculus | |
Red-footed Falcon Red-footed Falcon The Red-footed Falcon , formerly Western Red-footed Falcon, is a bird of prey. It belongs to the family Falconidae, the falcons. This bird is found in eastern Europe and Asia although its numbers are dwindling rapidly due to habitat loss and hunting. It is migratory, wintering in Africa... |
Falco vespertinus | (A) |
Merlin Merlin (bird) The Merlin is a small species of falcon from the Northern Hemisphere. A bird of prey once known colloquially as a pigeon hawk in North America, the Merlin breeds in the northern Holarctic; some migrate to subtropical and northern tropical regions in winter.-European and North American... |
Falco columbarius | |
Eurasian Hobby Eurasian Hobby The Eurasian Hobby , or just simply Hobby, is a small slim falcon. It belongs to a rather close-knit group of similar falcons often considered a subgenus Hypotriorchis.-Description:... |
Falco subbuteo | (A) |
Gyrfalcon Gyrfalcon The Gyrfalcon — Falco rusticolus — is the largest of the falcon species. The Gyrfalcon breeds on Arctic coasts and the islands of North America, Europe, and Asia. It is mainly resident there also, but some Gyrfalcons disperse more widely after the breeding season, or in winter.Individual vagrancy... |
Falco rusticolus | (A) |
Peregrine Falcon Peregrine Falcon The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"... |
Falco peregrinus |
Grouse
Order: GalliformesGalliformes
Galliformes are an order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding domestic or game bird, containing turkey, grouse, chicken, New and Old World Quail, ptarmigan, partridge, pheasant, and the Cracidae. Common names are gamefowl or gamebirds, landfowl, gallinaceous birds or galliforms...
. Family: Tetraonidae
Grouse are game birds, similar to quails and partridge. There are about 18 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Ireland, including one former native species which is now extinct.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Red Grouse Red grouse The Red Grouse is a medium sized bird of the grouse family which is found in heather moorland in Great Britain and Ireland. It is usually classified as a subspecies of the Willow Grouse but is sometimes considered to be a separate species Lagopus scoticus... |
Lagopus lagopus | |
Eurasian Capercaillie | Tetrao urogallus | (E) |
Pheasants and partridges
Order: GalliformesGalliformes
Galliformes are an order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding domestic or game bird, containing turkey, grouse, chicken, New and Old World Quail, ptarmigan, partridge, pheasant, and the Cracidae. Common names are gamefowl or gamebirds, landfowl, gallinaceous birds or galliforms...
. Family: Phasianidae
Phasianidae
The Phasianidae is a family of birds which consists of the pheasants and partridges, including the junglefowl , Old World Quail, francolins, monals and peafowl. The family is a large one, and is occasionally broken up into two subfamilies, the Phasianinae, and the Perdicinae...
The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds which consists of quail
Quail
Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally considered in the order Galliformes. Old World quail are found in the family Phasianidae, while New World quail are found in the family Odontophoridae...
s, partridge
Partridge
Partridges are birds in the pheasant family, Phasianidae. They are a non-migratory Old World group.These are medium-sized birds, intermediate between the larger pheasants and the smaller quails. Partridges are native to Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East...
s, snowcock
Snowcock
The snowcocks are a group of bird species in the genus Tetraogallus of the pheasant family, Phasianidae. They are ground-nesting birds which breed in the mountain ranges of southern Eurasia from the Caucasus to the Himalayas and western China. The Himalayan Snowcock has been introduced...
s, francolin
Francolin
Francolins are birds that traditionally have been placed in the genus Francolinus, but now commonly are divided into multiple genera , although some of the major taxonomic listing sources have yet to divide them. They are members of the pheasant family, Phasianidae...
s, spurfowls, tragopan
Tragopan
Tragopan is a genus of bird in the family Phasianidae. These birds are commonly called "horny pheasants" because of two brightly-colored, fleshy horns on their heads that they can erect during courtship displays...
s, monal
Monal
A Monal is a bird of genus Lophophorus of the Pheasant family, Phasianidae. There are three species and several sub-species within the genus Lophophorus:* Himalayan Monal Lophophorus impejanus* Sclater's Monal Lophophorus sclateri...
s, pheasant
Pheasant
Pheasants refer to some members of the Phasianinae subfamily of Phasianidae in the order Galliformes.Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have...
s, peafowl
Peafowl
Peafowl are two Asiatic species of flying birds in the genus Pavo of the pheasant family, Phasianidae, best known for the male's extravagant eye-spotted tail, which it displays as part of courtship. The male is called a peacock, the female a peahen, and the offspring peachicks. The adult female...
s and jungle fowls. In general, they are plump (although they may vary in size) and have broad, relatively short wings. There are about 156 species worldwide and 3 species which occur in Ireland plus one in category D.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Red-legged Partridge Red-legged Partridge The Red-legged Partridge is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds. It is sometimes known as French Partridge, to distinguish it from the Grey or English Partridge.... |
Alectoris rufa | (Cat. D4) |
Grey Partridge Grey Partridge The Grey Partridge, Perdix perdix, also known as the English Partridge, Hungarian Partridge, or Hun, is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds... |
Perdix perdix | |
Common Quail Common Quail The Common Quail, Coturnix coturnix, is a small bird in the pheasant family Phasianidae. It is widespread and is found in parts of Europe, .- Description :It is a small rotund bird, essentially streaked brown with... |
Coturnix coturnix | |
Ring-necked Pheasant | Phasianus colchicus | (I) |
Cranes
Order: GruiformesGruiformes
The Gruiformes are an order containing a considerable number of living and extinct bird families, with a widespread geographical diversity. Gruiform means "crane-like"....
. Family: Gruidae
Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances". There are about 15 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Sandhill Crane Sandhill Crane The Sandhill Crane is a large crane of North America and extreme northeastern Siberia. The common name of this bird references habitat like that at the Platte River, on the edge of Nebraska's Sandhills in the American Midwest... |
Grus canadensis | (A) |
Common Crane Common Crane The Common Crane , also known as the Eurasian Crane, is a bird of the family Gruidae, the cranes.It is a large, stately bird and a medium-sized crane at 100–130 cm long, with a 180–240 cm wingspan and a weight of 4.5–6 kg... |
Grus grus | (A) |
Rails, crakes, gallinules, and coots
Order: GruiformesGruiformes
The Gruiformes are an order containing a considerable number of living and extinct bird families, with a widespread geographical diversity. Gruiform means "crane-like"....
. Family: Rallidae
Rallidae
The rails, or Rallidae, are a large cosmopolitan family of small to medium-sized birds. The family exhibits considerable diversity and the family also includes the crakes, coots, and gallinules...
Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coot
Coot
Coots are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family Rallidae. They constitute the genus Fulica. Coots have predominantly black plumage, and, unlike many of the rails, they are usually easy to see, often swimming in open water...
s, and gallinule
Rallidae
The rails, or Rallidae, are a large cosmopolitan family of small to medium-sized birds. The family exhibits considerable diversity and the family also includes the crakes, coots, and gallinules...
s. Typically they inhabit dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps, or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs, and have long toes which are well adapted to soft, uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and be weak fliers. There are about 143 species worldwide and 9 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Water Rail Water Rail The Water Rail is a bird of the rail family which breeds in well-vegetated wetlands across Europe, Asia and North Africa. Northern and eastern populations are migratory, but this species is a permanent resident in the warmer parts of its breeding range... |
Rallus aquaticus | |
Corn Crake Corn Crake The Corn Crake, Corncrake or Landrail is a bird in the rail family. It breeds in Europe and Asia as far east as western China, and migrates to Africa for the winter... |
Crex crex | |
Little Crake Little Crake The Little Crake is a very small waterbird of the family Rallidae.Their breeding habitat is reed beds in Europe, mainly in the east, and just into western Asia. They nest in a dry location in reed vegetation, laying 4-7 eggs... |
Porzana parva | (A) |
Baillon's Crake Baillon's Crake The Baillon's Crake is a very small waterbird of the family Rallidae.-Distribution:Their breeding habitat is sedge beds in Europe, mainly in the east, and across Asia. They used to breed in Great Britain up to the mid-19th century, but the western European population declined through drainage.... |
Porzana pusilla | (A) |
Spotted Crake Spotted Crake The Spotted Crake is a small waterbird, of the family Rallidae.Their breeding habitat is marshes and sedge beds across temperate Europe into western Asia. They nest in a dry location in marsh vegetation, laying 6-15 eggs... |
Porzana porzana | (A) |
Sora Sora (crake) The Sora is a small waterbird of the family Rallidae, sometimes also referred to as the Sora Rail or Sora Crake.Adults Soras are long, with dark-marked brown upperparts, a blue-grey face and underparts, and black and white barring on the flanks. They have a short thick yellow bill, with black... |
Porzana carolina | (A) |
Common Moorhen Common Moorhen The Common Moorhen is a bird in the Rallidae family with an almost worldwide distribution. The North and South American Committees of the AOU and the IOC have voted on or before July 2011 to split the American forms into a new species Common Gallinule, however, no other committee has voted to... |
Gallinula chloropus | |
Eurasian Coot Eurasian Coot The Eurasian Coot, Fulica atra, also known as Coot, is a member of the rail and crake bird family, the Rallidae. The Australian subspecies is known as the Australian Coot.-Distribution:... |
Fulica atra | |
American Coot American Coot The American Coot is a bird of the family Rallidae, inhabiting wetlands and open water bodies. Measuring in length and across the wings, adults have a short thick white bill and white frontal shield, which usually has a reddish-brown spot near the top of the bill between the eyes... |
Fulica americana | (A) |
Bustards
Order: GruiformesGruiformes
The Gruiformes are an order containing a considerable number of living and extinct bird families, with a widespread geographical diversity. Gruiform means "crane-like"....
. Family: Otididae
Bustards are large terrestrial birds mainly associated with dry open country and steppes in the Old World
Old World
The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
. They are omnivorous and nest on the ground. They walk steadily on strong legs and big toes, pecking for food as they go. They have long broad wings with "fingered" wingtips, and striking patterns in flight. Many have interesting mating displays. There are about 26 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Great Bustard Great Bustard The Great Bustard is in the bustard family, the only member of the genus Otis. It breeds in southern and central Europe, where it is the largest species of bird, and across temperate Asia... |
Otis tarda | (A) |
Little Bustard Little Bustard The Little Bustard is a large bird in the bustard family, the only member of the genus Tetrax. It breeds in southern Europe and in western and central Asia. Southernmost European birds are mainly resident, but other populations migrate further south in winter... |
Tetrax tetrax | (A) |
Oystercatchers
Order: CharadriiformesCharadriiformes
Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...
. Family: Haematopodidae
The oystercatcher
Oystercatcher
The oystercatchers are a group of waders; they form the family Haematopodidae, which has a single genus, Haematopus. They are found on coasts worldwide apart from the polar regions and some tropical regions of Africa and South East Asia...
s are large and noisy plover
Plover
Plovers are a widely distributed group of wading birds belonging to the subfamily Charadriinae. There are about 40 species in the subfamily, most of them called "plover" or "dotterel". The closely related lapwing subfamily, Vanellinae, comprises another 20-odd species.Plovers are found throughout...
-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs. There are about 11 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Eurasian Oystercatcher Eurasian Oystercatcher The Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus, also known as the Common Pied Oystercatcher, or just Oystercatcher, is a wader in the oystercatcher bird family Haematopodidae. It is the most widespread of the oystercatchers, with three races breeding in western Europe, central Eurasia,... |
Haematopus ostralegus |
Avocets and stilts
Order: CharadriiformesCharadriiformes
Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...
. Family: Recurvirostridae
Recurvirostridae
Recurvirostridae is a family of birds in the wader suborder Charadrii. It contains two distinct groups of birds, the avocets and the stilts .-Description and diet:...
Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds, which includes the avocet
Avocet
The four species of Avocets are a genus, Recurvirostra, of waders in the same avian family as the stilts.Avocets have long legs and long, thin, upcurved bills which they sweep from side to side when feeding in the brackish or saline wetlands they prefer...
s and the stilt
Stilt
Stilt is a common name for several species of birds in the family Recurvirostridae, which also includes those known as avocets. They are found in brackish or saline wetlands in warm or hot climates....
s. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills. There are about 9 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Black-winged Stilt Black-winged Stilt The Black-winged Stilt or Common Stilt is a widely distributed very long-legged wader in the avocet and stilt family . Opinions differ as to whether the birds treated under the scientific name H. himantopus ought to be treated as a single species and if not, how many species to recognize... |
Himantopus himantopus | (A) |
Pied Avocet Pied Avocet The Pied Avocet, Recurvirostra avosetta, is a large black and white wader in the avocet and stilt family, Recurvirostridae. They breed in temperate Europe and western and Central Asia. It is a migratory species and most winter in Africa or southern Asia... |
Recurvirostra avosetta | (A) |
Thick-knees
Order: CharadriiformesCharadriiformes
Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...
. Family: Burhinidae
The thick-knees are a group of largely tropical waders in the family Burhinidae. They are found worldwide within the tropical zone, with some species also breeding in temperate Europe and Australia. They are medium to large waders with strong black or yellow black bills, large yellow eyes and cryptic plumage. Despite being classed as waders, most species have a preference for arid or semi-arid habitats. There are about 9 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Stone Curlew Stone Curlew The Stone Curlew, Eurasian Thick-knee, or Eurasian Stone-curlew Burhinus oedicnemus is a northern species of the Burhinidae bird family.... |
Burhinus oedicnemus | (A) |
Pratincoles and coursers
Order: CharadriiformesCharadriiformes
Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...
. Family: Glareolidae
Glareolidae
Glareolidae is a family of birds in the wader suborder Charadri. It contains two distinct groups, the pratincoles and the coursers. The coursers include the atypical Egyptian Plover, Pluvianus aegyptius, which has sometimes been placed in its own family...
Glareolidae is a family of wading birds comprising the pratincole
Pratincole
The Pratincoles or Greywaders are a group of birds which together with the coursers and Egyptian Plover make up the family Glareolidae. They have short legs, very long pointed wings and long forked tails....
s, which have short legs, long pointed wings and long forked tails, and the courser
Courser
The Coursers are a group of birds which together with the pratincoles make up the family Glareolidae. They have long legs, short wings and long pointed bills which curve downwards...
s, which have long legs, short wings and long pointed bills which curve downwards. There are about 17 species worldwide and 3 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Cream-colored Courser | Cursorius cursor | (A) |
Collared Pratincole Collared Pratincole The Collared Pratincole or Common Pratincole, Glareola pratincola, is a wader in the pratincole family, Glareolidae.Pratincoles are unusual among waders in that they typically hunt their insect prey on the wing like swallows, although they can also feed on the ground.The Collared Pratincole is a... |
Glareola pratincola | (A) |
Black-winged Pratincole Black-winged Pratincole The Black-winged Pratincole, Glareola nordmanni, is a wader in the pratincole bird family, Glareolidae.Their most unusual feature of the pratincoles is that although classed as waders they typically hunt their insect prey on the wing like swallows, although they can also feed on the... |
Glareola nordmanni | (A) |
Plovers and lapwings
Order: CharadriiformesCharadriiformes
Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...
. Family: Charadriidae
Charadriidae
The bird family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels, and lapwings, about 64 to 66 species in all.- Morphology :They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings, but most species of lapwing may have more rounded wings...
The family Charadriidae includes the plover
Plover
Plovers are a widely distributed group of wading birds belonging to the subfamily Charadriinae. There are about 40 species in the subfamily, most of them called "plover" or "dotterel". The closely related lapwing subfamily, Vanellinae, comprises another 20-odd species.Plovers are found throughout...
s, dotterels, and lapwing
Lapwing
Vanellinae are any of various crested plovers, family Charadriidae, noted for its slow, irregular wingbeat in flight and a shrill, wailing cry. Its length is 10-16 inches. They are a subfamily of medium-sized wading birds which also includes the plovers and dotterels. The Vanellinae are...
s. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water, although there are some exceptions. There are about 66 species worldwide and 12 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Northern Lapwing Northern Lapwing The Northern Lapwing , also known as the Peewit, Green Plover or just Lapwing, is a bird in the plover family. It is common through temperate Eurasia.... |
Vanellus vanellus | |
Sociable Lapwing Sociable Lapwing The Sociable Lapwing or Sociable Plover is a wader in the lapwing family of birds.It breeds on open grassland in Russia and Kazakhstan. Three to five eggs are laid in a ground nest... |
Vanellus gregarius | (A) |
Pacific Golden-Plover | Pluvialis fulva | (A) |
American Golden-Plover | Pluvialis dominica | (A) |
European Golden-Plover | Pluvialis apricaria | |
Grey Plover Grey Plover The Grey Plover , known as the Black-bellied Plover in North America, is a medium-sized plover breeding in arctic regions. It is a long-distance migrant, with a nearly worldwide coastal distribution when not breeding.... |
Pluvialis squatarola | |
Common Ringed Plover | Charadrius hiaticula | |
Semipalmated Plover Semipalmated Plover The Semipalmated Plover is a small plover.This species weighs and measures in length and across the wings. Adults have a grey-brown back and wings, a white belly, and a white breast with one black neckband... |
Charadrius semipalmatus | (A) |
Little Ringed Plover Little Ringed Plover The Little Ringed Plover is a small plover. Adults have a grey-brown back and wings, a white belly, and a white breast with one black neckband. They have a brown cap, a white forehead, a black mask around the eyes with white above and a short dark bill... |
Charadrius dubius | (A) |
Killdeer Killdeer The Killdeer is a medium-sized plover.Adults have a brown back and wings, a white belly, and a white breast with two black bands. The rump is tawny orange. The face and cap are brown with a white forehead. They have an orange-red eyering... |
Charadrius vociferus | (A) |
Kentish Plover Kentish Plover The Kentish Plover, Charadrius alexandrinus, is a small wader in the plover bird family. Despite its name, this species no longer breeds in Kent, or even Great Britain... |
Charadrius alexandrinus | (A) |
Eurasian Dotterel Eurasian Dotterel The Eurasian Dotterel , or in Europe just Dotterel, is a small wader in the plover family of birds.It breeds in the Arctic tundra of northern Eurasia, from Norway to eastern Siberia, and on suitable mountain plateaus such as the Scottish highlands and the Alps... |
Charadrius morinellus | (A) |
Sandpipers and allies
Order: CharadriiformesCharadriiformes
Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...
. Family: Scolopacidae
Scolopacidae
The sandpipers are a large family, Scolopacidae, of waders or shorebirds. They include many species called sandpipers, as well as those called by names such as curlew and snipe. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil...
The Scolopacidae are a large diverse family of small to medium sized shorebirds including the sandpipers, curlew
Curlew
The curlews , genus Numenius, are a group of eight species of birds, characterised by long, slender, downcurved bills and mottled brown plumage. They are one of the most ancient lineages of scolopacid waders, together with the godwits which look similar but have straight bills...
s, godwit
Godwit
The godwits are a group of large, long-billed, long-legged and strongly migratory wading birds of the genus Limosa. They form large flocks on coasts and estuaries in winter....
s, shanks
Tringa
Tringa is a genus of waders, containing the shanks and tattlers. They are mainly freshwater birds, often with brightly coloured legs as reflected in the English names of six species, as well as the specific names of two of these and the Green Sandpiper. They are typically associated with northern...
, tattler
Tattler (bird)
The tattlers are the two very similar bird species in the shorebird genus Tringa. They formerly had their own genus, Heteroscelus. The old genus name means "different leg" in Greek, referring to the leg scales that differentiate the tattlers from their close relatives, the shanks.The species are:*...
s, woodcock
Woodcock
The woodcocks are a group of seven or eight very similar living species of wading birds in the genus Scolopax. Only two woodcocks are widespread, the others being localized island endemics. Most are found in the Northern Hemisphere but a few range into Wallacea...
s, snipe
Snipe
A snipe is any of about 25 wading bird species in three genera in the family Scolopacidae. They are characterized by a very long, slender bill and crypsis plumage. The Gallinago snipes have a nearly worldwide distribution, the Lymnocryptes Jack Snipe is restricted to Asia and Europe and the...
s, dowitcher
Dowitcher
The three dowitchers are medium-sized long-billed wading birds. They resemble godwits in body and bill shape, and the reddish underparts in summer, but are much shorter legged, more like snipe to which they are also somewhat closer related...
s and phalarope
Phalarope
A phalarope or wadepiper is any of three living species of slender-necked shorebirds in the genus Phalaropus of the bird family Scolopacidae. They are close relatives of the shanks and tattlers, the Actitis and Terek Sandpipers, and also of the turnstones and calidrids...
s. The majority of species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enable different species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food. There are about 89 species worldwide and 50 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Eurasian Woodcock Eurasian Woodcock The Eurasian Woodcock, Scolopax rusticola, is a medium-small wading bird found in temperate and subarctic Eurasia. It has cryptic camouflage to suit its woodland habitat, with reddish-brown upperparts and buff-coloured underparts... |
Scolopax rusticola | |
Jack Snipe Jack Snipe The Jack Snipe, Lymnocryptes minimus is a small stocky wader. It is the smallest snipe, and the only member of the genus Lymnocryptes... |
Lymnocryptes minimus | |
Great Snipe Great Snipe The Great Snipe, Gallinago media is a small stocky wader in the genus Gallinago.This bird's breeding habitat is marshes and wet meadows with short vegetation in north-eastern Europe including north-western Russia. Great Snipes are migratory, wintering in Africa... |
Gallinago media | (A) |
Common Snipe Common Snipe The Common Snipe is a small, stocky wader native to the Old World. The breeding habitat is marshes, bogs, tundra and wet meadows throughout northern Europe and northern Asia... |
Gallinago gallinago | |
Wilson's Snipe Wilson's Snipe Wilson's Snipe is a small, stocky shorebird. This species was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the Common Snipe, G. gallinago. Wilson's Snipe differs from the latter species in having a narrower white edge to the wings, and eight pairs of tail feathers instead of seven.Adults are... |
Gallinago delicata | (A) |
Short-billed Dowitcher Short-billed Dowitcher The Short-billed Dowitcher like its congener the Long-billed Dowitcher, is a medium-sized, stocky, long-billed shorebird in the family Scolopacidae. It is an inhabitant of North America, Middle America, and northern South America. It is strongly migratory; it completely vacates in breeding areas... |
Limnodromus griseus | (A) |
Long-billed Dowitcher Long-billed Dowitcher The Long-billed Dowitcher, Limnodromus scolopaceus, is a medium-sized shorebird.Adults have yellowish legs and a long straight dark bill. The body is dark brown on top and reddish underneath with spotted throat and breast, bars on flanks. The tail has a black and white barred pattern... |
Limnodromus scolopaceus | (A) |
Black-tailed Godwit Black-tailed Godwit The Black-tailed Godwit, Limosa limosa, is a large, long-legged, long-billed shorebird first described by Carolus Linnaeus in 1758. It is a member of the Limosa genus, the godwits... |
Limosa limosa | |
Bar-tailed Godwit Bar-tailed Godwit The Bar-tailed Godwit is a large wader in the family Scolopacidae, which breeds on Arctic coasts and tundra mainly in the Old World, and winters on coasts in temperate and tropical regions of the Old World... |
Limosa lapponica | |
Eskimo Curlew Eskimo Curlew The Eskimo or the "Northern Curlew" is a critically endangered shorebird, now considered by many to be extinct.-Taxonomy:The Eskimo Curlew is one of eight species of curlew, and is classed with them in the genus Numenius. It was formerly placed in the separate genus Mesoscolopax. Numenius is... |
Numenius borealis | (A) |
Whimbrel Whimbrel The Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus, is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae. It is one of the mostwidespread of the curlews, breeding across much of subarctic North America, Europe and Asia as far south as Scotland.... |
Numenius phaeopus | |
Eurasian Curlew Eurasian Curlew The Eurasian Curlew, Numenius arquata, is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae. It is one of the most widespread of the curlews, breeding across temperate Europe and Asia... |
Numenius arquata | |
Upland Sandpiper Upland Sandpiper The Upland Sandpiper is a large shorebird, closely related to the curlews . Older names are the Upland Plover and Bartram's Sandpiper. It is the only member of the genus Bartramia. The genus name and the old common name Bartram's Sandpiper commemorate the American naturalist William Bartram... |
Bartramia longicauda | (A) |
Spotted Redshank Spotted Redshank The Spotted Redshank, Tringa erythropus, is a wader in the large bird family Scolopacidae. It breeds across northern Scandinavia and northern Asia and migrates south to the Mediterranean, the southern British Isles, France, tropical Africa, and tropical Asia for the winter... |
Tringa erythropus | |
Common Redshank Common Redshank The Common Redshank or simply Redshank is an Eurasian wader in the large family Scolopacidae.- Description and systematics :... |
Tringa totanus | |
Marsh Sandpiper Marsh Sandpiper The Marsh Sandpiper, Tringa stagnatilis, is a small wader. It is a rather small shank, and breeds in open grassy steppe and taiga wetlands from easternmost Europe to central Asia.... |
Tringa stagnatilis | (A) |
Common Greenshank | Tringa nebularia | |
Greater Yellowlegs Greater Yellowlegs The Greater Yellowlegs, Tringa melanoleuca, is a large North American shorebird, similar in appearance to the smaller Lesser Yellowlegs. Its closest relative, however, is the Greenshank, which together with the Spotted Redshank form a close-knit group... |
Tringa melanoleuca | (A) |
Lesser Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs The Lesser Yellowlegs is a medium-sized shorebird similar in appearance to the larger Greater Yellowlegs. It is not closely related to this bird, however, but instead to the much larger and quite dissimilar Willet; merely the fine, clear and dense pattern of the neck shown in breeding plumage... |
Tringa flavipes | (A) |
Green Sandpiper Green Sandpiper The Green Sandpiper is a small wader of the Old World. It represents an ancient lineage of the genus Tringa; its only close living relative is the Solitary Sandpiper . They both have brown wings with little light dots and a delicate but contrasting neck and chest pattern... |
Tringa ochropus | |
Solitary Sandpiper Solitary Sandpiper The Solitary Sandpiper is a small wader .-Description:This species measures long, with a wingspan up to and a body mass of . It is a dumpy wader with a dark green back, greyish head and breast and otherwise white underparts. It is obvious in flight, with wings dark above and below, and a dark... |
Tringa solitaria | (A) |
Wood Sandpiper Wood Sandpiper The Wood Sandpiper, Tringa glareola, is a small wader. This Eurasian species is the smallest of the shanks, which are mid-sized long-legged waders of the family Scolopacidae.- Description and systematics :... |
Tringa glareola | |
Terek Sandpiper Terek Sandpiper The Terek Sandpiper is a small migratory Palearctic wader species, the only member of the genus Xenus.- Description and systematics :... |
Xenus cinereus | (A) |
Common Sandpiper Common Sandpiper The Common Sandpiper is a small Palearctic wader. This bird and its American sister species, the Spotted Sandpiper , make up the genus Actitis. They are parapatric and replace each other geographically; stray birds of either species may settle down with breeders of the other and hybridize... |
Actitis hypoleucos | |
Spotted Sandpiper Spotted Sandpiper The Spotted Sandpiper is a small shorebird, 18–20 cm long. Together with its sister species, the Common Sandpiper they make up the genus Actitis... |
Actitis macularia | (A) |
Ruddy Turnstone Ruddy Turnstone The Ruddy Turnstone is a small wading bird, one of two species of turnstone in the genus Arenaria. It is now classified in the sandpiper family Scolopacidae but was formerly sometimes placed in the plover family Charadriidae... |
Arenaria interpres | |
Great Knot Great Knot The Great Knot, Calidris tenuirostris, is a small wader. It is the largest of the calidrid species.Their breeding habitat is tundra in northeast Siberia. They nest on the ground laying about four eggs in a ground scrape. They are strongly migratory wintering on coasts in southern Asia through to... |
Calidris tenuirostris | (A) |
Red Knot Red Knot The Red Knot, Calidris canutus , is a medium sized shorebird which breeds in tundra and the Arctic Cordillera in the far north of Canada, Europe, and Russia. It is a large member of the Calidris sandpipers, second only to the Great Knot... |
Calidris canutus | |
Sanderling Sanderling The Sanderling is a small wader. It is a circumpolar Arctic breeder, and is a long-distance migrant, wintering south to South America, South Europe, Africa, and Australia... |
Calidris alba | |
Semipalmated Sandpiper Semipalmated Sandpiper The Semipalmated Sandpiper, Calidris pusilla, is a very small shorebird. It is sometimes separated with other "stints" in Erolia but although these apparently form a monophyletic group, the present species' old genus Ereunetes had been proposed before Erolia.Adults have black legs and a short stout... |
Calidris pusilla | (A) |
Western Sandpiper Western Sandpiper The Western Sandpiper, Calidris or Erolia mauri, is a small shorebird.Adults have dark legs and a short thin dark bill, thinner at the tip. The body is brown on top and white underneath. They are reddish-brown on the crown. This bird can be difficult to distinguish from other similar tiny... |
Calidris mauri | (A) |
Red-necked Stint Red-necked Stint The Red-necked Stint is a small migratory wader.- Description :These birds are among the smallest of waders, very similar to the Little Stint, Calidris minuta, with which they were once considered conspecific... |
Calidris ruficollis | (A) |
Little Stint Little Stint The Little Stint, Calidris minuta , is a very small wader. It breeds in arctic Europe and Asia, and is a long-distance migrant, wintering south to Africa and south Asia... |
Calidris minuta | |
Temminck's Stint Temminck's Stint Temminck's Stint, Calidris or Erolia temminckii, is a small wader.This stint's breeding habitat is bogs and marshes in the taiga of Arctic northern Europe and Asia. It will breed in southern Scandinavia and occasionally Scotland. It has a distinctive hovering display flight. It nests in a scrape... |
Calidris temminckii | (A) |
Long-toed Stint Long-toed Stint The Long-toed Stint, Calidris or Erolia subminuta, is a small wader bird. It breeds across northern Asia and is strongly migratory, wintering in south and south east Asia and Australasia... |
Calidris subminuta | (A) |
Least Sandpiper Least Sandpiper The Least Sandpiper is the smallest shorebird.This species has greenish legs and a short thin dark bill. Breeding adults are brown with dark brown streaks on top and white underneath. They have a light line above the eye and a dark crown. In winter, Least Sandpipers are grey above... |
Calidris minutilla | (A) |
White-rumped Sandpiper White-rumped Sandpiper The White-rumped Sandpiper is a small shorebird.Adults have black legs and a small thin dark bill. The body is dark brown on top and mainly white underneath, with brown streaks on the breast and a white rump. They have a white stripe over their eyes. This bird shows long wings in flight. In winter... |
Calidris fuscicollis | (A) |
Baird's Sandpiper Baird's Sandpiper The Baird's Sandpiper is a small shorebird. It is among those calidrids sometimes separated in Erolia.Adults have black legs and a short thin dark bill. They are dark brown on top and mainly white underneath with a black patch on the rump. The head and breast are light brown with dark streaks. In... |
Calidris bairdii | (A) |
Pectoral Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper The Pectoral Sandpiper, Calidris melanotos, is a small wader. It is sometimes separated with the "stint" sandpipers in Erolia. This may or may not represent a good monophyletic group, depending on the placement of the phylogenetically enigmatic Curlew Sandpiper , the type species of Erolia... |
Calidris melanotos | |
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Sharp-tailed Sandpiper The Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Calidris acuminata is a small wader.- Taxonomy :More recently, a review of new data has indicated that this bird should perhaps better be placed into the genus Philomachus- as P... |
Calidris acuminata | (A) |
Curlew Sandpiper Curlew Sandpiper The Curlew Sandpiper is a small wader that breeds on the tundra of Arctic Siberia. It is strongly migratory, wintering mainly in Africa, but also in south and southeast Asia and in Australasia... |
Calidris ferruginea | |
Dunlin Dunlin The Dunlin, Calidris alpina, is a small wader, sometimes separated with the other "stints" in Erolia. It is a circumpolar breeder in Arctic or subarctic regions. Birds that breed in northern Europe and Asia are long-distance migrants, wintering south to Africa, southeast Asia and the Middle East... |
Calidris alpina | |
Purple Sandpiper Purple Sandpiper The Purple Sandpiper, Calidris, Arquatella or Erolia maritima is a small shorebird.Adults have short yellow legs and a medium thin dark bill with a yellow base. The body is dark on top with a slight purplish gloss and mainly white underneath. The breast is smeared with grey and the rump is black... |
Calidris maritima | |
Stilt Sandpiper Stilt Sandpiper The Stilt Sandpiper, Calidris himantopus or Micropalama himantopus, is a small shorebird; it bears some resemblance to the smaller calidrid sandpipers or "stints". DNA sequence information is incapable of determining whether it should be placed in Calidris or in the monotypic genus Micropalama... |
Calidris himantopus | (A) |
Broad-billed Sandpiper Broad-billed Sandpiper The Broad-billed Sandpiper is a small wading bird. It is the only member of the genus Limicola; some have proposed that it should be placed in the genus Erolia with the "stint" sandpipers, but more recent research suggests that it is should rather go into the genus Philomachus with the ruff and... |
Limicola falcinellus | (A) |
Buff-breasted Sandpiper Buff-breasted Sandpiper The Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Tryngites subruficollis, is a small shorebird. It is a calidrid sandpipers and currently considered to be the only member of the genus Tryngites. Indeed, it probably belongs in the genus Calidris itself, or more precisely with the small species thereof which should be... |
Tryngites subruficollis | (A) |
Ruff | Philomachus pugnax | |
Wilson's Phalarope Wilson's Phalarope The Wilson's Phalarope, Phalaropus tricolor, is a small wader. This bird, the largest of the phalaropes, breeds in the prairies of North America in western Canada and the western United States. It is migratory, wintering around the central Andes in South America. They are passage migrants through... |
Phalaropus tricolor | (A) |
Red-necked Phalarope Red-necked Phalarope The Red-necked Phalarope, Phalaropus lobatus, is a small wader. This phalarope breeds in the Arctic regions of North America and Eurasia. It is migratory, and, unusually for a wader, winters at sea on tropical oceans.... |
Phalaropus lobatus | (A, formerly bred) |
Grey Phalarope | Phalaropus fulicarius |
Skuas
Order: CharadriiformesCharadriiformes
Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...
. Family: Stercorariidae
The family Stercorariidae are, in general, medium to large birds, typically with grey or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings. They nest on the ground in temperate and arctic regions and are long-distance migrants. There are about 7 species worldwide and 4 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Great Skua Great Skua The Great Skua, Stercorarius skua, is a large seabird in the skua family Stercorariidae. In Britain, it is sometimes known by the name Bonxie, a Shetland name of unknown origin.-Description:... |
Stercorarius skua | |
Pomarine Skua Pomarine Skua The Pomarine Skua, Stercorarius pomarinus, known as Pomarine Jaeger in North America, is a seabird in the skua family Stercorariidae. It is a migrant, wintering at sea in the tropical oceans.- Taxonomy :... |
Stercorarius pomarinus | |
Arctic Skua Arctic Skua The Parasitic Jaeger, also known as the Arctic Skua or Parasitic Skua, is a seabird in the skua family Stercorariidae.... |
Stercorarius parasiticus | |
Long-tailed Skua Long-tailed Skua The Long-tailed Skua, Stercorarius longicaudus is a seabird in the skua family Stercorariidae.... |
Stercorarius longicaudus |
Gulls
Order: CharadriiformesCharadriiformes
Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...
. Family: Laridae
Laridae is a family of medium to large birds seabirds and includes gull
Gull
Gulls are birds in the family Laridae. They are most closely related to the terns and only distantly related to auks, skimmers, and more distantly to the waders...
s and kittiwake
Kittiwake
The kittiwakes are two closely related seabird species in the gull family Laridae, the Black-legged Kittiwake and the Red-legged Kittiwake . The epithets "Black-legged" and "Red-legged" are used to distinguish the two species in North America, but in Europe, where R...
s. They are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet. There are about 55 species worldwide and 21 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Common Gull Common Gull The Common Gull or Mew Gull Larus canus is a medium-sized gull which breeds in northern Asia, northern Europe and northwestern North America. It migrates further south in winter... |
Larus canus | |
Ring-billed Gull Ring-billed Gull The Ring-billed Gull is a medium-sized gull.Adults are length and with a wingspan. The head, neck and underparts are white; the relatively short bill is yellow with a dark ring; the back and wings are silver gray; and the legs are yellow. The eyes are yellow with red rims... |
Larus delawarensis | |
Great Black-backed Gull Great Black-backed Gull The Great Black-backed Gull is the largest gull in the world, which breeds on the European and North American coasts and islands of the North Atlantic... |
Larus marinus | |
Glaucous Gull Glaucous Gull The Glaucous Gull is a large gull which breeds in the Arctic regions of the northern hemisphere and the Atlantic coasts of Europe. It is migratory, wintering from in the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans as far south as the British Isles and northernmost states of the USA, also on the Great... |
Larus hyperboreus | |
Iceland Gull Iceland Gull The Iceland Gull, Larus glaucoides, is a large gull which breeds in the Arctic regions of Canada and Greenland, but not Iceland, where it is only seen in the winter. It is migratory, wintering from in the North Atlantic as far south as the British Isles and northernmost states of the eastern USA,... |
Larus glaucoides | |
Thayer's Gull Thayer's Gull The Thayer's Gull is a large gull native to North America that breeds in the Arctic islands of Canada and primarily winters on the Pacific coast, from southern Alaska to the Gulf of California, though there are also wintering populations on the Great Lakes and the upper Mississippi River... |
Larus thayeri | (A) |
Herring Gull | Larus argentatus | |
Lesser Black-backed Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull The Lesser Black-backed Gull is a large gull that breeds on the Atlantic coasts of Europe. It is migratory, wintering from the British Isles south to West Africa... |
Larus fuscus | |
Yellow-legged Gull Yellow-legged Gull The Yellow-legged Gull , sometimes referred to as Western Yellow-legged Gull , is a large gull of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, which has only recently achieved wide recognition as a distinct species... |
Larus michahellis | |
American Herring Gull American Herring Gull The American Herring Gull or Smithsonian Gull is a large gull which breeds in North America. It is often treated as a subspecies of the European Herring Gull but is now regarded as a separate species by some authorities.Adults are white with gray back and wings, black wingtips with white spots,... |
Larus smithsonianus | (A) |
Caspian Gull Caspian Gull Caspian Gull is a name applied to the gull taxon Larus cachinnans, a member of the Herring Gull/Lesser Black-backed Gull complex.- Description :... |
Larus cachinnans | (A) |
Black-headed Gull Black-headed Gull The Black-headed Gull is a small gull which breeds in much of Europe and Asia, and also in coastal eastern Canada. Most of the population is migratory, wintering further south, but some birds in the milder westernmost areas of Europe are resident... |
Larus ridibundus | |
Bonaparte's Gull Bonaparte's Gull The Bonaparte's Gull is a small gull.The Bonaparte's Gull is a small species, larger only than the Little Gull and the Saunders's Gull among all gull species. Adults are long with a wingspan and a body mass of . They have a black hood and a short thin dark bill. The body is mainly white with... |
Larus philadelphia | (A) |
Mediterranean Gull Mediterranean Gull The Mediterranean Gull, Ichthyaetus melanocephalus, is a small gull which breeds almost entirely in Europe, mainly in the south east, especially around the Black Sea, and in central Turkey. There are colonies elsewhere in southern Europe, and this species has undergone a dramatic range expansion in... |
Larus melanocephalus | |
Laughing Gull Laughing Gull The Laughing Gull, Leucophaeus atricilla, is a medium-sized gull of North and South America. It breeds on the Atlantic coast of North America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. Northernmost populations migrate further south in winter, and this species occurs as a rare vagrant to western... |
Larus atricilla | (A) |
Franklin's Gull Franklin's Gull The Franklin's Gull is a small gull.-Description:It breeds in central provinces of Canada and adjacent states of the northern United States... |
Larus pipixcan | (A) |
Little Gull Little Gull The Little Gull, Hydrocoloeus minutus or Larus minutus, is a small gull which breeds in northern Europe and Asia. It also has small colonies in parts of southern Canada. It is migratory, wintering on coasts in western Europe, the Mediterranean and the northeast USA. As is the case with many gulls,... |
Larus minutus | |
Ivory Gull Ivory Gull The Ivory Gull Pagophila eburnea is a small gull, the only species in its genus. It breeds in the high arctic and has a circumpolar distribution through Greenland, northernmost North America, and Eurasia.-Taxonomy:... |
Pagophila eburnea | (A) |
Ross's Gull Ross's Gull The Ross's Gull is a small gull, the only species in its genus, although it has been suggested it should be moved to the genus Hydrocoloeus, which otherwise only includes the Little Gull.... |
Rhodostethia rosea | (A) |
Sabine's Gull Sabine's Gull The Sabine's Gull is a small gull. Its generic placement is disputed; some authors treat it as the sole species in the genus Xema as Xema sabini, while others retain it in the genus Larus as Larus sabini. It breeds in the arctic and has a circumpolar distribution through northernmost North America... |
Xema sabini | |
Black-legged Kittiwake Black-legged Kittiwake The Black-legged Kittiwake is a seabird species in the gull family Laridae.This species was first described by Linnaeus in his Systema naturae in 1758 as Larus tridactylus.... |
Rissa tridactyla |
Terns
Order: CharadriiformesCharadriiformes
Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...
. Family: Sternidae
Tern
Tern
Terns are seabirds in the family Sternidae, previously considered a subfamily of the gull family Laridae . They form a lineage with the gulls and skimmers which in turn is related to skuas and auks...
s are a group of generally general medium to large sea-birds typically with grey or white plumage, often with black markings on the head. Most terns hunt fish by diving but some pick insects off the surface of fresh water. Terns are generally long-lived birds, with several species now known to live in excess of 25 to 30 years. There are about 44 species worldwide and 14 species which occur in Ireland plus two Category D species.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Gull-billed Tern Gull-billed Tern The Gull-billed Tern formerly Sterna nilotica , is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae... |
Sterna nilotica | (A) |
Caspian Tern Caspian Tern The Caspian Tern is a species of tern, with a subcosmopolitan but scattered distribution. Despite its extensive range, it is monotypic of its genus, and has no subspecies accepted either... |
Sterna caspia | (A) |
Elegant Tern Elegant Tern The Elegant Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. It breeds on the Pacific coasts of the southern USA and Mexico and winters south to Peru, Ecuador and Chile.... |
Sterna elegans | (A) |
Lesser Crested Tern Lesser Crested Tern The Lesser Crested Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae... |
Sterna bengalensis | (A) |
Sandwich Tern | Sterna sandvicensis | |
Royal Tern Royal Tern The Royal Tern is a seabird in the tern family Sternidae. This bird has two distinctive subspecies. T. m. maximus breeds on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the southern USA and Mexico into the Caribbean. The slightly smaller T. m. albididorsalis breeds in coastal west Africa... |
Sterna maxima | (Cat. D3) |
Roseate Tern Roseate Tern The Roseate Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a number of geographical races, differing mainly in bill colour and minor plumage details.... |
Sterna dougallii | |
Common Tern Common Tern The Common Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a circumpolar distribution, breeding in temperate and sub-Arctic regions of Europe, Asia and east and central North America. It is strongly migratory, wintering in coastal tropical and subtropical regions. It is sometimes... |
Sterna hirundo | |
Arctic Tern Arctic Tern The Arctic Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a circumpolar breeding distribution covering the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of Europe, Asia, and North America... |
Sterna paradisaea | |
Forster's Tern Forster's Tern The Forster's Tern, Sterna forsteri, is a member of the tern family Sternidae. It breeds inland in North America and winters south to the Caribbean and northern South America.... |
Sterna forsteri | (A) |
Little Tern Little Tern The Little Tern, Sternula albifrons or Sterna albifrons, is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. It was formerly placed into the genus Sterna, which now is restricted to the large white terns . The former North American and Red Sea S. a... |
Sterna albifrons | |
Bridled Tern Bridled Tern The Bridled Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. It is a bird of the tropical oceans.-Description:... |
Sterna anaethetus | (Cat. D3) |
Sooty Tern Sooty Tern The Sooty Tern, Onychoprion fuscatus , is a seabird of the tern family . It is a bird of the tropical oceans, breeding on islands throughout the equatorial zone. Colloquially, it is known as the Wideawake Tern or just wideawake... |
Sterna fuscata | (A) |
Whiskered Tern Whiskered Tern The Whiskered Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a number of geographical races, differing mainly in size and minor plumage details.... |
Chlidonias hybridus | (A) |
White-winged Tern White-winged Tern The White-winged Tern, or White-winged Black Tern, Chlidonias leucopterus, is a small tern generally found in or near bodies of fresh water across from Southeastern Europe east to Australia.... |
Chlidonias leucopterus | (A) |
Black Tern Black Tern The Black Tern, Chlidonias niger, is a small tern generally found in or near inland water in Europe and North America. As its name suggests, it has predominantly dark plumage.- Description :... |
Chlidonias niger |
Auks
Order: CharadriiformesCharadriiformes
Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...
. Family: Alcidae
Alcids are superficially similar to penguins due to their black-and-white colours, their upright posture and some of their habits, however they are not related to the penguins bnd differ in being able to fly. Auks live on the open sea, only deliberately coming ashore to nest. There are about 24 species worldwide and 7 species which occur in Ireland including one species now globally extinct.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Little Auk Little Auk The Little Auk, or Dovekie , is a small auk, the only member of the genus Alle. It breeds on islands in the high Arctic. There are two subspecies: A. a. alle breeds in Greenland, Iceland, Novaya Zemlya and Spitsbergen, and A. a... |
Alle alle | (A) |
Guillemot Guillemot Guillemots is the common name for several species of seabird in the auk family . In British use, the term comprises two genera: Uria and Cepphus. In North America the Uria species are called "murres" and only the Cepphus species are called "guillemots"... |
Uria aalge | |
Brunnich's Guillemot Brünnich's Guillemot The Thick-billed Murre or Brünnich's Guillemot is a bird in the auk family . This bird is named after the Danish zoologist Morten Thrane Brünnich... |
Uria lomvia | (A) |
Razorbill Razorbill The Razorbill is colonial seabird that will only come to land in order to breed. It is the largest living member of the Auk family. This agile bird will choose only one partner for life and females will lay one egg per year. Razorbills will nest along coastal cliffs in enclosed or slightly exposed... |
Alca torda | |
Great Auk Great Auk The Great Auk, Pinguinus impennis, formerly of the genus Alca, was a large, flightless alcid that became extinct in the mid-19th century. It was the only modern species in the genus Pinguinus, a group of birds that formerly included one other species of flightless giant auk from the Atlantic Ocean... |
Pinguinus impennis | (E) |
Black Guillemot Black Guillemot The Black Guillemot or Tystie is a medium-sized alcid.Adult birds have black bodies with a white wing patch, a thin dark bill, and red legs and feet. They show white wing linings in flight. In winter, the upperparts are pale grey and the underparts are white. The wings remain black with the large... |
Cepphus grylle | |
Atlantic Puffin Atlantic Puffin The Atlantic Puffin is a seabird species in the auk family. It is a pelagic bird that feeds primarily by diving for fish, but also eats other sea creatures, such as squid and crustaceans. Its most obvious characteristic during the breeding season is its brightly coloured bill... |
Fratercula arctica |
Sandgrouse
Order: Pterocliformes. Family: PteroclidaeSandgrouse have small, pigeon like heads and necks, but sturdy compact bodies. They have long pointed wings and sometimes tails and a fast direct flight. Flocks fly to watering holes at dawn and dusk. Their legs are feathered down to the toes. There are about 16 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Pallas's Sandgrouse Pallas's Sandgrouse The Pallas's Sandgrouse is a medium large bird in the sandgrouse family named after the German zoologist Peter Simon Pallas.... |
Syrrhaptes paradoxus | (A) |
Pigeons and doves
Order: ColumbiformesColumbiformes
Columbiformes are an avian order that includes the very widespread and successful doves and pigeons, classified in the family Columbidae, and the extinct Dodo and the Rodrigues Solitaire, long classified as a second family Raphidae. 313 species, found worldwide, comprise the Columbiformes order....
. Family: Columbidae
Pigeons and dove
Dove
Pigeons and doves constitute the bird family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes, which include some 300 species of near passerines. In general terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used somewhat interchangeably...
s are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere
Cère
The Cère is a long river in south-western France, left tributary of the Dordogne River. Its source is in the south-western Massif Central, near the mountain Plomb du Cantal...
. There are about 308 species worldwide and 6 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Rock Pigeon Rock Pigeon The Rock Dove or Rock Pigeon, is a member of the bird family Columbidae . In common usage, this bird is often simply referred to as the "pigeon".... |
Columba livia | |
Stock Dove | Columba oenas | |
Common Wood-Pigeon | Columba palumbus | |
Eurasian Turtle-Dove | Streptopelia turtur | |
Eurasian Collared-Dove | Streptopelia decaocto | |
Mourning Dove Mourning Dove The Mourning Dove is a member of the dove family . The bird is also called the Turtle Dove or the American Mourning Dove or Rain Dove, and formerly was known as the Carolina Pigeon or Carolina Turtledove. It is one of the most abundant and widespread of all North American birds... |
Zeanaida macroura | (A) |
Cuckoos
Order: CuculiformesCuculiformes
The near passerine bird order Cuculiformes traditionally included three families as below:* Musophagidae - turacos and allies* Cuculidae - cuckoos, coucals, roadrunners and anis* Opisthocomidae - Hoatzin...
. Family: Cuculidae
The family Cuculidae includes cuckoo
Cuckoo
The cuckoos are a family, Cuculidae, of near passerine birds. The order Cuculiformes, in addition to the cuckoos, also includes the turacos . Some zoologists and taxonomists have also included the unique Hoatzin in the Cuculiformes, but its taxonomy remains in dispute...
s, roadrunner
Geococcyx
The roadrunners are two species of bird in the genus Geococcyx of the cuckoo family, Cuculidae, native to North and Central America...
s and anis
Ani (bird)
The anis are the three species of near-passerine birds in the genus Crotophaga of the cuckoo family. They are essentially tropical New world birds, although the range of two species just reaches the United States...
. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails and strong legs. Unlike the cuckoo species of the Old World, North American cuckoos are not brood parasites. There are about 138 species worldwide and 4 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Great Spotted Cuckoo Great Spotted Cuckoo The Great Spotted Cuckoo is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes, which also includes the roadrunners, the anis and the coucals.... |
Clamator glandarius | (A) |
Common Cuckoo Common Cuckoo The Common Cuckoo is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, Cuculiformes, which includes the roadrunners, the anis and the coucals.... |
Cuculus canorus | |
Black-billed Cuckoo Black-billed Cuckoo The Black-billed Cuckoo, Coccyzus erythropthalmus, is a cuckoo.Adults have a long brown tail and a black bill. The head and upper parts are brown and the underparts are white. There is a red ring around the eye. Juveniles are drabber, and the eye ring is greenish.Their breeding habitat is edges of... |
Coccyzus erythropthalmus | (A) |
Yellow-billed Cuckoo Yellow-billed Cuckoo The Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Coccyzus americanus, is a cuckoo. Common folk-names for this bird in the southern United States are Rain Crow and Storm Crow... |
Coccyzus americanus | (A) |
Barn owls
Order: Strigiformes. Family: TytonidaeTytonidae
Barn-owls are one of the two families of owls, the other being the true owls, Strigidae. They are medium to large sized owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long, strong legs with powerful talons...
Barn owl
Barn Owl
The Barn Owl is the most widely distributed species of owl, and one of the most widespread of all birds. It is also referred to as Common Barn Owl, to distinguish it from other species in the barn-owl family Tytonidae. These form one of two main lineages of living owls, the other being the typical...
s are medium to large sized owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long strong legs with powerful talons. There are about 16 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Barn Owl Barn Owl The Barn Owl is the most widely distributed species of owl, and one of the most widespread of all birds. It is also referred to as Common Barn Owl, to distinguish it from other species in the barn-owl family Tytonidae. These form one of two main lineages of living owls, the other being the typical... |
Tyto alba |
Typical owls
Order: Strigiformes. Family: StrigidaeTypical owl
Typical owl
True owl or Typical owl are one of the two generally accepted families of Owls, the other being the barn owls . The Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy unites the Caprimulgiformes with the owl order; here, the typical owls are a subfamily Strigidae...
s are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey. They have large forward-facing eyes and ears, a hawk-like beak, and a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk. There are about 195 species worldwide and 5 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
European Scops-Owl | Otus scops | (A) |
Snowy Owl Snowy Owl The Snowy Owl is a large owl of the typical owl family Strigidae. The Snowy Owl was first classified in 1758 by Carolus Linnaeus, the Swedish naturalist who developed binomial nomenclature to classify and organize plants and animals. The bird is also known in North America as the Arctic Owl, Great... |
Bubo scandiacus | (A) |
Little Owl Little Owl The Little Owl is a bird which is resident in much of the temperate and warmer parts of Europe, Asia east to Korea, and north Africa. It is not native to Great Britain, but was first introduced in 1842, and is now naturalised there... |
Athene noctua | (A) |
Long-eared Owl Long-eared Owl The Long-eared Owl - Asio otus is a species of owl which breeds in Europe, Asia, and North America. This species is a part of the larger grouping of owls known as typical owls, family Strigidae, which contains most species of owl... |
Asio otus | |
Short-eared Owl Short-eared Owl The Short-eared Owl is a species of typical owl . In Scotland this species of owl is often referred to as a cataface, grass owl or short-horned hootlet. Owls belonging to genus Asio are known as the eared owls, as they have tufts of feathers resembling mammalian ears. These "ear" tufts may or may... |
Asio flammeus |
Nightjars
Order: CaprimulgiformesCaprimulgiformes
The Caprimulgiformes is an order of birds that includes a number of birds with global distribution . They are generally insectivorous and nocturnal...
. Family: Caprimulgidae
Nightjar
Nightjar
Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal or crepuscular birds with long wings, short legs and very short bills. They are sometimes referred to as goatsuckers from the mistaken belief that they suck milk from goats . Some New World species are named as nighthawks...
s are medium-sized nocturnal birds with long wings, short legs and very short bills that usually nest on the ground. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is camouflaged to resemble bark or leaves. There are about 86 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Common Nighthawk Common Nighthawk The Common Nighthawk is a medium-sized crepuscular or nocturnal bird, whose presence and identity are best revealed by its vocalization. Typically dark , displaying cryptic colouration and intricate patterns, this bird becomes invisible by day. Once aerial, with its buoyant but erratic flight,... |
Chordeiles minor | (A) |
Eurasian Nightjar | Caprimulgus europaeus |
Swifts
Order: ApodiformesApodiformes
Traditionally, the bird order Apodiformes contained three living families: the swifts , the tree swifts , and the hummingbirds . In the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, this order is raised to a superorder Apodimorphae in which hummingbirds are separated as a new order, Trochiliformes...
. Family: Apodidae
Swift
Swift
The swifts are a family, Apodidae, of highly aerial birds. They are superficially similar to swallows, but are actually not closely related to passerine species at all; swifts are in the separate order Apodiformes, which they share with hummingbirds...
s are small aerial birds, spending the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings that resemble a crescent or a boomerang. There are about 98 species worldwide and 6 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
White-throated Needletail White-throated Needletail The White-throated Needletail , also known as Needle-tailed Swift or Spine-tailed Swift, is a large swift. It is the fastest-flying bird in flapping flight, being capable of speeds up to 170 km/h .... |
Hirundapus caudacutus | (A) |
Chimney Swift Chimney Swift The Chimney Swift is a small bird .-Physical description:In flight, this bird looks like a flying cigar with long slender curved wings. The plumage is a sooty grey-brown; the throat, breast, underwings and rump are paler. They have short tails.-Reproduction:The breeding season of Chimney Swifts is... |
Chaetura pelagica | (A) |
Alpine Swift Alpine Swift The Alpine Swift syn. is a species of Swift. The bird is superficially similar to a large Barn Swallow or House Martin. It is, however, completely unrelated to those passerine species, since swifts are in the order Apodiformes... |
Tachymarptis melba | (A) |
Common Swift Common Swift The Common Swift is a small bird, superficially similar to the Barn Swallow or House Martin. It is, however, completely unrelated to those passerine species, since swifts are in the separate order Apodiformes... |
Apus apus | |
Pallid Swift Pallid Swift The Pallid Swift is a small bird, superficially similar to a Barn Swallow or House Martin. It is, however, completely unrelated to those passerine species, since the swifts are in the order Apodiformes... |
Apus pallidus | (A) |
Little Swift Little Swift The Little Swift , is a small bird, superficially similar to a Barn Swallow or House Martin. It is, however, completely unrelated to those passerine species, since swifts are in the order Apodiformes. The resemblances between the groups are due to convergent evolution reflecting similar life styles... |
Apus affinis | (A) |
Kingfishers
Order: CoraciiformesCoraciiformes
The Coraciiformes are a group of usually colorful near passerine birds including the kingfishers, the Hoopoe, the bee-eaters, the rollers, and the hornbills...
. Family: Alcedinidae
Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails. There are about 93 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Common Kingfisher | Alcedo atthis | |
Belted Kingfisher Belted Kingfisher The Belted Kingfisher is a large, conspicuous water kingfisher, the only member of that group commonly found in the northern United States and Canada. It is depicted on the 1986 series Canadian $5 note. All kingfishers were formerly placed in one family, Alcedinidae, but recent research suggests... |
Ceryle alcyon | (A) |
Bee-eaters
Order: CoraciiformesCoraciiformes
The Coraciiformes are a group of usually colorful near passerine birds including the kingfishers, the Hoopoe, the bee-eaters, the rollers, and the hornbills...
. Family: Meropidae
The bee-eaters are a group of near passerine
Near passerine
Near passerine or higher land-bird assemblage are terms often given to arboreal birds or those most often believed to be related to the true passerines due to ecological similarities; the group corresponds to some extent with the Anomalogonatae of Garrod All near passerines are land birds...
birds in the family Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa but others occur in southern Europe, Madagascar, Australia and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies and usually elongated central tail feathers. All are colorful and have long downturned bills and pointed wings, which give them a swallow-like appearance when seen from afar. There are about 26 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
European Bee-eater European Bee-eater The European Bee-eater, Merops apiaster, is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae. It breeds in southern Europe and in parts of north Africa and western Asia. It is strongly migratory, wintering in tropical Africa, India and Sri Lanka... |
Merops apiaster | (A) |
Typical rollers
Order: CoraciiformesCoraciiformes
The Coraciiformes are a group of usually colorful near passerine birds including the kingfishers, the Hoopoe, the bee-eaters, the rollers, and the hornbills...
. Family: Coraciidae
Rollers resemble crow
Crow
Crows form the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-size jackdaws to the Common Raven of the Holarctic region and Thick-billed Raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on all temperate continents and several...
s in size and build, but are more closely related to the kingfisher
Kingfisher
Kingfishers are a group of small to medium sized brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species being found in the Old World and Australia...
s and bee-eater
Bee-eater
The bee-eaters are a group of near-passerine birds in the family Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa and Asia but others occur in southern Europe, Australia, and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies, and usually elongated central tail feathers...
s. They share the colourful appearance of those groups with blues and browns predominating. The two inner front toes are connected, but the outer toe is not. There are about 12 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
European Roller European Roller The European Roller, Coracias garrulus, is the only member of the roller family of birds to breed in Europe. Its overall range extends into the Middle East and Central Asia and Morocco.... |
Coracias garrulus | (A) |
Hoopoes
Order: CoraciiformesCoraciiformes
The Coraciiformes are a group of usually colorful near passerine birds including the kingfishers, the Hoopoe, the bee-eaters, the rollers, and the hornbills...
. Family: Upupidae
Hoopoes have black, white and orangey-pink colouring with a large erectile crest on their head. There are about 2 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Hoopoe Hoopoe The Hoopoe is a colourful bird that is found across Afro-Eurasia, notable for its distinctive 'crown' of feathers. It is the only extant species in the family Upupidae. One insular species, the Giant Hoopoe of Saint Helena, is extinct, and the Madagascar subspecies of the Hoopoe is sometimes... |
Upupa epops |
Woodpeckers and allies
Order: PiciformesPiciformes
Nine families of largely arboreal birds make up the order Piciformes, the best-known of them being the Picidae, which includes the woodpeckers and close relatives...
. Family: Picidae
Picidae
The woodpeckers, piculets and wrynecks are a family, Picidae, of near-passerine birds. Members of this family are found worldwide, except for Australia and New Zealand, Madagascar, and the extreme polar regions...
Woodpeckers are small to medium sized birds with chisel like beaks, short legs, stiff tails and long tongues used for capturing insects. Some species have feet with two toes pointing forward, and two backward, while several species have only three toes. Many woodpeckers have the habit of tapping noisily on tree trunks with their beaks. There are about 218 species worldwide and 4 species which occur in Ireland plus one in Category D.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Eurasian Wryneck Eurasian Wryneck The Eurasian Wryneck, Jynx torquilla, is a species of wryneck in the family of woodpeckers.This species breeds in temperate regions of Europe and Asia. It is migratory, wintering in tropical Africa and southern Asia. It is a bird of open woodland and orchards... |
Jynx torquilla | (A) |
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is a medium-sized woodpecker found in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.-Taxonomy:... |
Sphyrapicus varius | (A) |
Great Spotted Woodpecker Great Spotted Woodpecker The Great Spotted Woodpecker , Dendrocopos major, is a bird species of the woodpecker family . It is distributed throughout Europe and northern Asia, and usually resident year-round except in the colder parts of its range... |
Dendrocopos major | (A) |
Northern Flicker Northern Flicker The Northern Flicker is a medium-sized member of the woodpecker family. It is native to most of North America, parts of Central America, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, and is one of the few woodpecker species that migrate. There are over 100 common names for the Northern Flicker... |
Colaptes auratus | (Cat.D2) |
European Green Woodpecker | Picus viridis | (A) |
Larks
Order: Passeriformes. Family: AlaudidaeLarks are small terrestrial birds with often extravagant songs and display flights. Most larks are fairly dull in appearance. Their food is insects and seeds. There are about 91 species worldwide and 4 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Greater Short-toed Lark Greater Short-toed Lark The Greater Short-toed Lark or sometimes just Short-toed Lark is a small passerine bird. It breeds in southern Europe, northwest Africa, and across temperate Asia from Turkey and southern Russia to Mongolia. It is sometimes considered conspecific with Calandrella cinerea... |
Calandrella brachydactyla | (A) |
Wood Lark | Lullula arborea | (A) |
Eurasian Skylark | Alauda arvensis | |
Shore Lark Shore Lark The Shore Lark , called the Horned Lark in North America, is a species of bird in the genus Eremophila.- Description :... |
Eremophila alpestris | (A) |
Swallows and martins
Order: Passeriformes. Family: HirundinidaeThe Hirundinidae family is a group of passerines characterized by their adaptation to aerial feeding. Their adaptations include a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings and short bills with wide gape. The feet are designed for perching rather than walking, and the front toes are partially joined at the base. There are about 75 species worldwide and 5 species which occur in Ireland plus one in Category D.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Purple Martin Purple Martin The Purple Martin is the largest North American swallow. These aerial acrobats have speed and agility in flight, and when approaching their housing, will dive from the sky at great speeds with their wings tucked.-Description and taxonomy:... |
Progne subis | (Cat. D1) |
Sand Martin Sand Martin The Sand Martin is a migratory passerine bird in the swallow family. It has a wide range in summer, embracing practically the whole of Europe and the Mediterranean countries, part of northern Asia and also North America. It winters in eastern and southern Africa, South America and South Asia... |
Riparia riparia | |
Cliff Swallow Cliff Swallow The Cliff Swallow is a member of the passerine bird family Hirundinidae — the swallows and martins.It breeds in North America, and is migratory, wintering in western South America from Venezuela southwards to northeast Argentina... |
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota | (A) |
Barn Swallow Barn Swallow The Barn Swallow is the most widespread species of swallow in the world. It is a distinctive passerine bird with blue upperparts, a long, deeply forked tail and curved, pointed wings. It is found in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas... |
Hirundo rustica | |
Red-rumped Swallow Red-rumped Swallow The Red-rumped Swallow is a small passerine bird in the swallow family. It breeds in open hilly country of temperate southern Europe and Asia from Portugal and Spain to Japan, India and tropical Africa. The Indian and African birds are resident, but European and other Asian birds are migratory... |
Cecropis daurica | (A) |
Common House-Martin | Delichon urbica |
Wagtails and pipits
Order: Passeriformes. Family: MotacillidaeMotacillidae
The Motacillidae are a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. There are around 65 species in 6 genera and they include the wagtails, longclaws and pipits. The longclaws are entirely restricted to the Afrotropics, and the wagtails are predominately found in Europe, Africa and...
The Motacillidae are a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They include the wagtails, longclaws and pipits. They are slender, ground feeding insectivores of open country. There are about 54 species worldwide and 14 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Pied Wagtail | Motacilla alba | |
Citrine Wagtail Citrine Wagtail The Citrine Wagtail or Yellow-headed Wagtail is a small songbird in the family Motacillidae. The term citrine refers to its yellowish colouration. Its systematics, phylogeny and taxonomy are subject of considerable debate in the early 21st century. This is because this bird forms a cryptic... |
Motacilla citreola | (A) |
Yellow Wagtail | Motacilla flava | |
Grey Wagtail Grey Wagtail The Grey Wagtail is a small member of the wagtail family, Motacillidae. The species looks similar to the Yellow Wagtail but has the yellow on its underside restricted to the throat and vent. Breeding males have a black throat... |
Motacilla cinerea | |
Richard's Pipit Richard's Pipit The Richard's Pipit is a medium-sized passerine bird which breeds in open grasslands in northern Asia. It is a long-distance migrant moving to open lowlands in southern Asia. It is a rare but regular vagrant to western Europe... |
Anthus richardi | (A) |
Tawny Pipit Tawny Pipit The Tawny Pipit, Anthus campestris, is a medium-large passerine bird which breeds in much of temperate Europe and Asia, and northwest Africa. It is a migrant moving in winter to tropical Africa and the Indian subcontinent.... |
Anthus campestris | (A) |
Tree Pipit Tree Pipit Tree Pipit, Anthus trivialis, is a small passerine bird which breeds across most of Europe and temperate western and central Asia. It is a long-distance migrant moving in winter to Africa and southern Asia.... |
Anthus trivialis | |
Olive-backed Pipit Olive-backed Pipit The Olive-backed Pipit, Anthus hodgsoni, is a small passerine bird of the pipit genus, which breeds across South, north Central and East Asia, as well as in the northeast of European Russia. It is a long-distance migrant moving in winter to southern Asia and Indonesia... |
Anthus hodgsoni | (A) |
Pechora Pipit Pechora Pipit The Pechora Pipit is a small passerine bird which breeds in the tundra of northern Asia, eastwards of Russia. It is a long-distance migrant, moving in winter to Indonesia. Rarely in September and October, the Pechora Pipit may be observed in western Europe.-Appearance:A. gustavi is a small pipit,... |
Anthus gustavi | (A) |
Meadow Pipit Meadow Pipit The Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis, is a small passerine bird which breeds in much of the northern half of Europe and also northwestern Asia, from southeastern Greenland and Iceland east to just east of the Ural Mountains in Russia, and south to central France and Romania; there is also an isolated... |
Anthus pratensis | |
Red-throated Pipit Red-throated Pipit The Red-throated Pipit is a small passerine bird which breeds in the far north of Europe and Asia, with a foothold in northern Alaska. It is a long-distance migrant moving in winter to Africa, south and east Asia and west coast USA... |
Anthus cervinus | (A) |
Rock Pipit Rock Pipit The Rock Pipit, Anthus petrosus, is a small passerine bird species which breeds on rocky coasts of western Europe northwards from Brittany. It is mainly resident in Ireland, Great Britain and France, in the west of its range, but the Scandinavian and Russian populations migrate south in winter;... |
Anthus petrosus | |
Water Pipit Water Pipit The Water Pipit, Anthus spinoletta, is a small passerine bird which breeds in the mountains of southern Europe and southern temperate Asia across to China. It is a short-distance migrant moving to wet open lowlands such as marshes and flooded fields in winter... |
Anthus spinoletta | (A) |
Buff-bellied Pipit Buff-bellied Pipit The Buff-bellied Pipit , or American Pipit as it is known in North America, is a small songbird found on both sides of the northern Pacific. It was first described by Marmaduke Tunstall in his 1771 Ornithologia Britannica... |
Anthus rubescens | (A) |
Kinglets
Order: Passeriformes. Family: RegulidaeThe kinglets or crests are a small group of birds often included in the Old World warblers, but frequently given family status because they also resemble the titmice
Titmouse
The tits, chickadees, and titmice constitute Paridae, a large family of small passerine birds which occur in the northern hemisphere and Africa...
. There are about 7 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Goldcrest Goldcrest The Goldcrest, Regulus regulus, is a very small passerine bird in the kinglet family. Its colourful golden crest feathers gives rise to its English and scientific names, and possibly to it being called the "king of the birds" in European folklore. Several subspecies are recognised across the very... |
Regulus regulus | |
Common Firecrest | Regulus ignicapillus |
Waxwings
Order: Passeriformes. Family: BombycillidaeThe waxwing
Waxwing
The waxwings form the genus Bombycilla of passerine birds. According to most authorities, this is the only genus placed in the family Bombycillidae.-Description:Waxwings are characterised by soft silky plumage...
s are a group of passerine birds characterized by soft silky plumage and unique red tips to some of the wing feathers. In the Bohemian and Cedar Waxwings, these tips look like sealing wax, and give the group its name. These are arboreal birds of northern forests. They live on insects in summer and berries in winter. There are 3 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Bohemian Waxwing Bohemian Waxwing The Bohemian Waxwing is a member of the waxwing family of passerines. A sleek bird, 18–21 cm long with a pointed crest, it travels in large, nomadic groups with a strong, direct flight. It breeds in coniferous forests throughout the most northern parts of Europe, Asia and western North America... |
Bombycilla garrulus | |
Cedar Waxwing Cedar Waxwing The Cedar Waxwing is a member of the family Bombycillidae or waxwing family of passerine birds. It breeds in open wooded areas in North America, principally southern Canada and the northern United States.-Description:... |
Bombycilla cedrorum | (A) |
Dippers
Order: Passeriformes. Family: CinclidaeDippers are a group of perching birds whose habitat includes aquatic environments in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. They are named for their bobbing or dipping movements. There are 5 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
White-throated Dipper White-throated Dipper The White-throated Dipper , also known as the European Dipper or just Dipper is an aquatic passerine bird found in Europe, Middle East, Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. The species is divided into several subspecies, based primarily on colour differences, particularly of the pectoral band... |
Cinclus cinclus |
Wrens
Order: Passeriformes. Family: TroglodytidaeThe wren
Wren
The wrens are passerine birds in the mainly New World family Troglodytidae. There are approximately 80 species of true wrens in approximately 20 genera....
s are mainly small and inconspicuous except for their loud songs. These birds have short wings and a thin down-turned bill. Several species often hold their tails upright. All are insectivorous. There are about 80 species worldwide (of which all but one are New World species) and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Winter Wren Winter Wren The Winter Wren is a very small North American bird and a member of the mainly New World wren family Troglodytidae. It was once lumped with Troglodytes pacificus of western North America and Troglodytes troglodytes of Eurasia under the name Winter Wren.It breeds in coniferous forests from British... |
Troglodytes troglodytes |
Mockingbirds and thrashers
Order: Passeriformes. Family: MimidaeThe mimids are a family of passerine birds that includes thrasher
Thrasher
Thrashers are a New World group of passerine birds related to mockingbirds and New World catbirds. Like these, they are in the Mimidae family. There are 15 species in one large and 4 monotypic genera.These do not form a clade but are a phenetic assemblage...
s, mockingbird
Mockingbird
Mockingbirds are a group of New World passerine birds from the Mimidae family. They are best known for the habit of some species mimicking the songs of other birds and the sounds of insects and amphibians, often loudly and in rapid succession. There are about 17 species in three genera...
s, trembler
Trembler
Tremblers are a New World group of passerine birds related to mockingbirds and New World catbirds. Like these, they are in the Mimidae family. There are 2-4 species in one genus, Cinclocerthia:...
s, and the New World catbirds. These birds are notable for their vocalizations, especially their ability to mimic a wide variety of birds and other sounds heard outdoors. Their colouring tends towards dull greys and browns . There are about 35 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Grey Catbird | Dumetella carolinensis | (A) |
Accentors
Order: Passeriformes. Family: PrunellidaeThe accentors are in the only bird family, Prunellidae, which is completely endemic to the Palearctic
Palearctic
The Palearctic or Palaearctic is one of the eight ecozones dividing the Earth's surface.Physically, the Palearctic is the largest ecozone...
. They are small, fairly drab species superficially similar to sparrow
Sparrow
The sparrows are a family of small passerine birds, Passeridae. They are also known as true sparrows, or Old World sparrows, names also used for a genus of the family, Passer...
s. There are 13 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Dunnock Dunnock The Dunnock, Prunella modularis, is a small passerine bird found throughout temperate Europe and into Asia. It is by far the most widespread member of the accentor family, which otherwise consists of mountain species... |
Prunella modularis |
Thrushes and allies
Order: Passeriformes. Family: TurdidaeThe thrushes
Thrush (bird)
The thrushes, family Turdidae, are a group of passerine birds that occur worldwide.-Characteristics:Thrushes are plump, soft-plumaged, small to medium-sized birds, inhabiting wooded areas, and often feed on the ground or eat small fruit. The smallest thrush may be the Forest Rock-thrush, at and...
are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly in the Old World. They are plump, soft plumaged, small to medium-sized insectivores or sometimes omnivores, often feeding on the ground. Many have attractive songs. There are about 176 species worldwide and 13 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Common Rock Thrush | Monticola saxatilis | (A) |
Siberian Thrush Siberian Thrush The Siberian Thrush, Zoothera sibirica, is a member of the Thrush family Turdidae.It breeds in taiga in Siberia. It is strongly migratory, with most birds moving to southeastern Asia during the winter. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe. It is very secretive.The Siberian Thrush is similar... |
Zoothera sibirica | (A) |
White's Thrush White's Thrush The White's Thrush or Scaly Thrush is a member of the thrush family Turdidae. It was named after the English naturalist Gilbert White.-Distribution and habitat:... |
Zoothera dauma | (A) |
Grey-cheeked Thrush | Catharus minimus | (A) |
Swainson's Thrush Swainson's Thrush Swainson's Thrush , also called Olive-backed Thrush, is a medium-sized thrush. This species is 16–18 cm in length, and has the white-dark-white underwing pattern characteristic of Catharus thrushes... |
Catharus ustulatus | (A) |
Hermit Thrush Hermit Thrush The Hermit Thrush is a medium-sized North American thrush. It is not very closely related to the other North American migrant species of Catharus, but rather to the Mexican Russet Nightingale-thrush.-Description:... |
Catharus guttatus | (A) |
Ring Ouzel Ring Ouzel The Ring Ouzel is a European member of the thrush family Turdidae.It is the mountain equivalent of the closely related Common Blackbird, and breeds in gullies, rocky areas or scree slopes.... |
Turdus torquatus | |
Eurasian Blackbird | Turdus merula | |
Fieldfare Fieldfare The Fieldfare is a member of the thrush family Turdidae. It breeds in woodland and scrub in northern Europe and Asia. It is strongly migratory, with many northern birds moving south during the winter. It is a very rare breeder in Great Britain and Ireland, but winters in large numbers in these... |
Turdus pilaris | |
Redwing Redwing The Redwing is a bird in the thrush family Turdidae, native to Europe and Asia, slightly smaller than the related Song Thrush.-Taxonomy:... |
Turdus iliacus | |
Song Thrush Song Thrush The Song Thrush is a thrush that breeds across much of Eurasia. It is also known in English dialects as throstle or mavis. It has brown upperparts and black-spotted cream or buff underparts and has three recognised subspecies... |
Turdus philomelos | |
Mistle Thrush Mistle Thrush The Mistle Thrush is a member of the thrush family Turdidae.It is found in open woods and cultivated land over all of Europe and much of Asia... |
Turdus viscivorus | |
American Robin American Robin The American Robin or North American Robin is a migratory songbird of the thrush family. It is named after the European Robin because of its reddish-orange breast, though the two species are not closely related, with the European robin belonging to the flycatcher family... |
Turdus migratorius | (A) |
Cisticolas and allies
Order: Passeriformes. Family: CisticolidaeCisticolidae
The Cisticolidae family of small passerine birds is a group of about 110 warblers found mainly in warmer southern regions of the Old World. They are often included within the Old World warbler family Sylviidae....
The Cisticolidae are warblers found mainly in warmer southern regions of the Old World. They are generally very small birds of drab brown or grey appearance found in open country such as grassland or scrub. There are about 111 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Zitting Cisticola Zitting Cisticola The Zitting Cisticola or Streaked Fantail Warbler , is widely distributed Old World warbler whose breeding range includes southern Europe, Africa outside the deserts and rainforest, and southern Asia down to northern Australia... |
Cisticola juncidis | (A) |
Old World warblers
Order: Passeriformes. Family: SylviidaeSylviidae
Sylviidae is a family of passerine birds that was part of an assemblage known as the Old World warblers. The family was formerly a wastebin taxon with over 400 species of bird in over 70 genera. The family was poorly defined with many characteristics shared with other families...
The family Sylviidae is a group of small insectivorous passerine birds. The Sylviidae mainly occur as breeding species, as the common name implies, in Europe, Asia and, to a lesser extent Africa. Most are of generally undistinguished appearance, but many have distinctive songs. There are about 291 species worldwide and 35 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Cetti's Warbler Cetti's Warbler Cetti's Warbler , Cettia cetti, is an Old World warbler which breeds in Europe, northwest Africa and east southern temperate Asia as far as Afghanistan and NW Pakistan. It is the only bush warbler to occur outside Asia... |
Cettia cetti | (A) |
Grasshopper Warbler Grasshopper Warbler The Grasshopper Warbler, Locustella naevia, is an Old World warbler in the grass warbler genus Locustella. It breeds across much of temperate Europe and Asia. It is migratory, wintering from northwest Africa to India.... |
Locustella naevia | |
Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler The Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler, Locustella certhiola, is an Old World warbler in the grass warbler genus Locustella. It breeds in east Asia. It is migratory, wintering from India east to Indonesia.... |
Locustella certhiola | (A) |
Savi's Warbler Savi's Warbler The Savi's Warbler, Locustella luscinioides, is an Old World warbler in the grass warbler genus Locustella. It breeds in southern Europe into temperate western Asia. It is migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa.... |
Locustella luscinioides | (A) |
Aquatic Warbler Aquatic Warbler The Aquatic Warbler, Acrocephalus paludicola, is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It breeds in temperate eastern Europe and western Asia, with an estimated population of 15,000 pairs. It is migratory, wintering in west Africa... |
Acrocephalus paludicola | (A) |
Sedge Warbler Sedge Warbler The Sedge Warbler is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It is a medium-sized warbler with a brown, streaked back and wings and a distinct pale supercilium. Sedge Warblers are migratory, crossing the Sahara to get from their European and Asian breeding grounds to spend winter in Africa... |
Acrocephalus schoenobaenus | |
Paddyfield Warbler Paddyfield Warbler The Paddyfield Warbler, Acrocephalus agricola, is a species of marsh-warbler . It was formerly included in the "Old World warbler" assemblage. The Manchurian Reed-warbler was included in A. agricola as a subspecies.It breeds in temperate central Asia. It is migratory, wintering in Pakistan and... |
Acrocephalus agricola | (A) |
Blyth's Reed Warbler Blyth's Reed Warbler The Blyth's Reed Warbler is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It breeds in temperate Asia and easternmost Europe. It is migratory, wintering in India and Sri Lanka. It is one of the most common winter warblers in those countries... |
Acrocephalus dumetorum | (A) |
Eurasian Reed-Warbler | Acrocephalus scirpaceus | |
Marsh Warbler Marsh Warbler The Marsh Warbler, Acrocephalus palustris, is an Old World warbler currently classified in the family Acrocephalidae. It breeds in temperate Europe and western Asia and winters mainly in south east Africa... |
Acrocephalus palustris | (A) |
Great Reed-Warbler | Acrocephalus arundinaceus | (A) |
Booted Warbler Booted Warbler The Booted Warbler is an Old World warbler in the tree warbler group. It was formerly considered to be conspecific with Sykes' Warbler, but the two are now usually both afforded species status... |
Hippolais caligata | (A) |
Sykes's Warbler | Hippolais rama | (A) |
Eastern Olivaceous Warbler Eastern Olivaceous Warbler The Eastern Olivaceous Warbler is a "warbler", formerly placed in the Old World warblers when these were a paraphyletic wastebin taxon. It is now considered a member of the acrocephaline warbelrs, Acrocephalidae, in the tree warbler genus Hippolais ... |
Hippolais pallida | (A) |
Melodious Warbler Melodious Warbler The Melodious Warbler is an Old World warbler in the tree warbler genus Hippolais. It breeds in southwest Europe and northwest Africa. It is migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa.... |
Hippolais polyglotta | (A) |
Icterine Warbler Icterine Warbler The Icterine Warbler is an Old World warbler in the tree warbler genus Hippolais . It breeds in mainland Europe except the southwest, where it is replaced by its western counterpart, Melodious Warbler. It is migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa... |
Hippolais icterina | (A) |
Willow Warbler Willow Warbler The Willow Warbler is a very common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe and Asia, from Ireland east to the Anadyr River basin in eastern Siberia... |
Phylloscopus trochilus | |
Common Chiffchaff | Phylloscopus collybita | |
Western Bonelli's Warbler Western Bonelli's Warbler Western Bonelli's Warbler is a "warbler" in the leaf warbler genus Phylloscopus. It was formerly regarded as the western subspecies of a wider "Bonelli's Warbler" species, but as a result of modern taxonomic developments, this species is now usually considered to be two species :* Western Bonelli's... |
Phylloscopus bonelli | (A) |
Wood Warbler Wood Warbler The Wood Warbler is a common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe, and just into the extreme west of Asia in the southern Ural Mountains... |
Phylloscopus sibilatrix | |
Dusky Warbler Dusky Warbler The Dusky Warbler, Phylloscopus fuscatus, is a leaf warbler which breeds in east Asia. This warbler is strongly migratory and winters in southeast Asia. It has a foothold in North America in Alaska, and has also occurred in California... |
Phylloscopus fuscatus | (A) |
Radde's Warbler Radde's Warbler Radde's Warbler, Phylloscopus schwarzi, is a leaf warbler which breeds in Siberia. This warbler is strongly migratory and winters in southeast Asia.... |
Phylloscopus schwarzi | (A) |
Pallas's Warbler Pallas's Warbler The Pallas's Warbler or Pallas's Leaf Warbler is a leaf warbler which breeds in southern Siberia , northern Mongolia, and northeastern China... |
Phylloscopus proregulus | (A) |
Yellow-browed Warbler Yellow-browed Warbler The Yellow-browed Warbler is a leaf warbler which breeds in temperate Asia. This warbler is strongly migratory and winters mainly in tropical southeast Asia, but also in small numbers in western Europe... |
Phylloscopus inornatus | |
Hume's Warbler | Phylloscopus humei | (A) |
Arctic Warbler Arctic Warbler The Arctic Warbler, Phylloscopus borealis, is a widespread leaf warbler in birch or mixed birch forest near water throughout its breeding range in Fennoscandia and northern Asia. It has established a foothold in North America, breeding in Alaska. This warbler is strongly migratory; the entire... |
Phylloscopus borealis | (A) |
Greenish Warbler Greenish Warbler The Greenish Warbler and Green Warbler are widespread leaf-warblers throughout their breeding range in northeastern Europe and temperate to subtropical continental Asia. This warbler is strongly migratory and winters in India. It is not uncommon as a spring or early autumn vagrant in Western... |
Phylloscopus trochiloides | (A) |
Blackcap Blackcap The Blackcap is a common and widespread sylviid warbler which breeds throughout temperate Europe, western Asia and northwestern Africa, and winters from northwestern Europe south to tropical Africa... |
Sylvia atricapilla | |
Garden Warbler Garden Warbler The Garden Warbler, Sylvia borin, is a common and widespread typical warbler which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe into western Asia. This small passerine bird is strongly migratory, and winters in central and southern Africa... |
Sylvia borin | |
Greater Whitethroat | Sylvia communis | |
Lesser Whitethroat Lesser Whitethroat The Lesser Whitethroat is a common and widespread typical warbler which breeds in temperate Europe, except the southwest, and in western and central Asia. This small passerine bird is strongly migratory, wintering in Africa just south of the Sahara, Arabia and India.Unlike many typical warblers,... |
Sylvia curruca | |
Barred Warbler Barred Warbler The Barred Warbler is a typical warbler which breeds across temperate regions of central and eastern Europe and western and central Asia. This passerine bird is strongly migratory, and winters in tropical eastern Africa.... |
Sylvia nisoria | (A) |
Subalpine Warbler Subalpine Warbler The Subalpine Warbler, Sylvia cantillans, is a small typical warbler which breeds in the southernmost areas of Europe and northwest Africa. This small passerine bird is migratory, and winters along the southern edge of the Sahara... |
Sylvia cantillans | (A) |
Sardinian Warbler Sardinian Warbler The Sardinian Warbler, Sylvia melanocephala, is a common and widespread typical warbler from the Mediterranean region.-Description:... |
Sylvia melanocephala | (A) |
Dartford Warbler Dartford Warbler The Dartford Warbler, Sylvia undata, is a typical warbler from the warmer parts of western Europe, and northwestern Africa. Its breeding range lies west of a line from southern England to the heel of Italy... |
Sylvia undata | (A) |
Old World flycatchers and chats
Order: Passeriformes. Family: MuscicapidaeOld World flycatchers and chats are a large group of small passerine birds native to the Old World. They are mainly small arboreal insectivores. The appearance of these birds is very varied, but they mostly have weak songs and harsh calls. There about 274 species worldwide and 18 species which occur in Ireland including a record of a bird accepted as either Black Wheatear or White-tailed Wheatear.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Spotted Flycatcher Spotted Flycatcher The Spotted Flycatcher, Muscicapa striata, is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family. It breeds in most of Europe and western Asia, and is migratory, wintering in Africa and south western Asia. It is declining in parts of its range.... |
Muscicapa striata | |
Pied Flycatcher | Ficedula hypoleuca | |
Red-breasted Flycatcher Red-breasted Flycatcher The Red-breasted Flycatcher is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family. It breeds in eastern Europe and across central Asia and is migratory, wintering in south Asia. It is a regular passage migrant in western Europe, whereas the Collared Flycatcher which breeds further west is... |
Ficedula parva | (A) |
European Robin European Robin The European Robin , most commonly known in Anglophone Europe simply as the Robin, is a small insectivorous passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family , but is now considered to be an Old World flycatcher... |
Erithacus rubecula | |
Thrush Nightingale Thrush Nightingale The Thrush Nightingale, Luscinia luscinia , is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae... |
Luscinia luscinia | (A) |
Common Nightingale | Luscinia megarhynchos | (A) |
Bluethroat Bluethroat The Bluethroat is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae... |
Luscinia svecica | (A) |
Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin | Cercotrichas galactotes | (A) |
Red-flanked Bluetail Red-flanked Bluetail The Red-flanked Bluetail , also known as the Orange-flanked Bush-robin, is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae... |
Tarsiger cyanurus | (A) |
Black Redstart Black Redstart The Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros is a small passerine bird in the redstart genus Phoenicurus. Like its relatives, it was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush family , but is now known to be an Old World flycatcher .-Description:The Black Redstart is 13–14.5 cm in length and 12–20... |
Phoenicurus ochruros | |
Common Redstart Common Redstart The Common Redstart , or often simply Redstart, is a small passerine bird in the redstart genus Phoenicurus... |
Phoenicurus phoenicurus | |
Whinchat Whinchat The Whinchat Saxicola rubetra is a small migratory passerine bird breeding in Europe and western Asia and wintering in Africa.Its scientific name means "small rock-dweller", in reference to its habitat... |
Saxicola rubetra | |
European Stonechat European Stonechat The European Stonechat is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a subspecies of the Common Stonechat. Long considered a member of the thrush family Turdidae, genetic evidence has placed it and its relatives in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae.It is 11.5–13 cm long and... |
Saxicola rubicola | |
White-tailed Wheatear | Oenanthe leucopyga | |
Black Wheatear Black Wheatear The Black Wheatear, Oenanthe leucura, is a wheatear, a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae.... |
Oenanthe leucura | (A) |
Northern Wheatear Northern Wheatear The Northern Wheatear or Wheatear is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae... |
Oenanthe oenanthe | |
Pied Wheatear Pied Wheatear The Pied Wheatear, Oenanthe pleschanka, is a wheatear, a small insectivorous passerine that was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae.... |
Oenanthe pleschanka | (A) |
Black-eared Wheatear Black-eared Wheatear The Black-eared Wheatear is a wheatear, a small migratory passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae.... |
Oenanthe hispanica | (A) |
Desert Wheatear Desert Wheatear The Desert Wheatear is a wheatear, a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae.... |
Oenanthe deserti | (A) |
Isabelline Wheatear Isabelline Wheatear The Isabelline Wheatear, Oenanthe isabellina, is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae.... |
Oenanthe isabellina | (A) |
Parrotbills
Order: Passeriformes. Family: ParadoxornithidaeThe parrotbills are a group of birds native to East and Southeast Asia, though feral populations are known from elsewhere. They are generally small, long-tailed birds which inhabit reedbeds and similar habitats. There are about 20 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Bearded Reedling | Panurus biarmicus | (A) |
Long-tailed tits
Order: Passeriformes. Family: AegithalidaeLong-tailed tits are a group of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They make woven bag nests in trees. Most eat a mixed diet that includes insects. There are about 9 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Long-tailed Tit Long-tailed Tit The Long-tailed Tit or Long-tailed Bushtit is a common bird found throughout Europe and Asia. There are several extensive accounts of this species, most notably Cramp and Perrins, 1993; Gaston, 1973; and Harrap and Quinn, 1996... |
Aegithalos caudatus |
Tits
Order: Passeriformes. Family: ParidaeThe Paridae are mainly small stocky woodland species with short stout bills. Some have crests. They are adaptable birds, with a mixed diet including seeds and insects. There are about 59 species worldwide and 4 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Marsh Tit Marsh Tit The Marsh Tit Poecile palustris is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae and genus Poecile, closely related to the Willow, Père David's and Songar Tits. It is small with a black crown and nape, pale cheeks, brown back and greyish-brown wings and tail. Between 8 and 11 subspecies are recognised... |
Poecile palustris | (A) |
Coal Tit Coal Tit The Coal Tit, Periparus ater, is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a widespread and common resident breeder throughout temperate to subtropical Eurasia and northern Africa. The Spot-winged Tit The Coal Tit, Periparus ater, is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a... |
Periparus ater | |
Great Tit Great Tit The Great Tit is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a widespread and common species throughout Europe, the Middle East, Central and Northern Asia, and parts of North Africa in any sort of woodland. It is generally resident, and most Great Tits do not migrate except in extremely... |
Parus major | |
Blue Tit Blue Tit The Blue Tit is a 10.5 to 12 cm long passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a widespread and common resident breeder throughout temperate and subarctic Europe and western Asia in deciduous or mixed woodlands... |
Cyanistes caeruleus |
Treecreepers
Order: Passeriformes. Family: CerthiidaeTreecreepers are small woodland birds, brown above and white below. They have thin pointed down-curved bills, which they use to extricate insects from bark. They have stiff tail feathers, like woodpeckers, which they use to support themselves on vertical trees. There are about 6 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Eurasian Treecreeper | Certhia familiaris |
Old World orioles
Order: Passeriformes. Family: OriolidaeThe Old World Orioles are colourful passerine birds. They are not related to the New World orioles. There are about 29 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Eurasian Golden Oriole | Oriolus oriolus | (A) |
Shrikes
Order: Passeriformes. Family: LaniidaeShrikes are passerine birds known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns. A typical shrike's beak is hooked, like a bird of prey. There are about 31 species worldwide and 6 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Red-backed Shrike Red-backed Shrike The Red-backed Shrike is a carnivorous passerine bird and member of the shrike family Laniidae.English common names include 'Wariangle' and 'worrier'.-Description:... |
Lanius collurio | |
Isabelline Shrike Isabelline Shrike The Isabelline Shrike is a member of the shrike family . It is the eastern equivalent of the Red-backed Shrike with which it used to be considered conspecific.... |
Lanius isabellinus | (A) |
Brown Shrike Brown Shrike The Brown Shrike is a bird in the shrike family that is found mainly in Asia. It is closely related to the Red-backed Shrike and Isabelline Shrike . Like most other shrikes, it has a distinctive black "bandit-mask" through the eye... |
Lanius cristatus | (A) |
Northern Shrike | Lanius excubitor | |
Lesser Gray Shrike | Lanius minor | (A) |
Woodchat Shrike Woodchat Shrike The Woodchat Shrike is a member of the shrike family Laniidae.The Woodchat breeds in southern Europe, the Middle East and northwest Africa, and winters in tropical Africa. It breeds in open cultivated country, preferably with orchard trees and some bare or sandy ground.This migratory medium-sized... |
Lanius senator | (A) |
Crows, jays, ravens and magpies
Order: Passeriformes. Family: CorvidaeCorvidae
Corvidae is a cosmopolitan family of oscine passerine birds that contains the crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies, treepies, choughs and nutcrackers. The common English names used are corvids or the crow family , and there are over 120 species...
The Corvidae family includes crow
Crow
Crows form the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-size jackdaws to the Common Raven of the Holarctic region and Thick-billed Raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on all temperate continents and several...
s, raven
Raven
Raven is the common name given to several larger-bodied members of the genus Corvus—but in Europe and North America the Common Raven is normally implied...
s, jay
Jay
The jays are several species of medium-sized, usually colorful and noisy, passerine birds in the crow family Corvidae. The names jay and magpie are somewhat interchangeable, and the evolutionary relationships are rather complex...
s, chough
Chough
The Red-billed Chough or Chough , Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax, is a bird in the crow family; it is one of only two species in the genus Pyrrhocorax...
s, magpie
Magpie
Magpies are passerine birds of the crow family, Corvidae.In Europe, "magpie" is often used by English speakers as a synonym for the European Magpie, as there are no other magpies in Europe outside Iberia...
s, treepie
Treepie
The treepies comprise four closely related genera of long-tailed passerine birds in the family Corvidae...
s, nutcracker
Nutcracker (bird)
The nutcrackers are a genus of two species of passerine bird, in the family Corvidae, related to the jays and crows. One, the Spotted Nutcracker , occurs in Europe and Asia, the other, Clark's Nutcracker , in western North America.The most important food resources for both these species are the...
s, and ground jay
Ground jay
The ground jays or ground choughs belong to a distinct group of the passerine order of birds in the genus Podoces of the crow family Corvidae...
s. Corvids are above average in size for the bird order Passeriformes. Some of the larger species show high levels of learning behavior. There are about 120 species worldwide and 8 species which occur in Ireland plus one in Category D.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Eurasian Jay Eurasian Jay The Eurasian Jay is a species of bird occurring over a vast region from Western Europe and north-west Africa to the Indian Subcontinent and further to the eastern seaboard of Asia and down into south-east Asia... |
Garrulus glandarius | |
Eurasian Magpie | Pica pica | |
Red-billed Chough Red-billed Chough The Red-billed Chough or Chough , Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax, is a bird in the crow family; it is one of only two species in the genus Pyrrhocorax... |
Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax | |
Eurasian Jackdaw | Corvus monedula | |
House Crow House Crow thumb|300px|Bangalore, IndiaThe House Crow , also known as the Colombo Crow is a common bird of the Crow family that is of Asian origin but now found in many parts of the world, where they arrived assisted by shipping. It is between the Jackdaw and the Carrion Crow in size but is relatively... |
Corvus splendens | (Cat.D2) |
Rook Rook (bird) The Rook is a member of the Corvidae family in the passerine order of birds. Named by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, the species name frugilegus is Latin for "food-gathering".... |
Corvus frugilegus | |
Carrion Crow Carrion Crow The Carrion Crow is a member of the passerine order of birds and the crow family which is native to western Europe and eastern Asia.-Taxonomy:... |
Corvus corone | |
Common Raven Common Raven The Common Raven , also known as the Northern Raven, is a large, all-black passerine bird. Found across the northern hemisphere, it is the most widely distributed of all corvids... |
Corvus corax | |
Hooded Crow Hooded Crow The Hooded Crow is a Eurasian bird species in the crow genus. Widely distributed, it is also known locally as Scotch Crow, Danish Crow, and Corbie or Grey Crow in Ireland, which is what its Welsh name, Brân Lwyd, translates as... |
Corvus cornix |
Starlings
Order: Passeriformes. Family: SturnidaeStarlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds. Their flight is strong and direct, and they are very gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country. They eat insects and fruit. Plumage is typically dark with a metallic sheen. There are about 125 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Rosy Starling Rosy Starling The Rosy Starling or Rose-coloured Starling is a passerine bird in the starling family Sturnidae. It is sometimes given its own, monotypic genus Pastor... |
Pastor roseus | (A) |
European Starling European Starling The Common Starling , also known as the European Starling or just Starling, is a passerine bird in the family Sturnidae.This species of starling is native to most of temperate Europe and western Asia... |
Sturnus vulgaris |
Vireos
Order: Passeriformes. Family: VireonidaeThe vireo
Vireo
The vireos are a group of small to medium-sized passerine birds restricted to the New World. They are typically dull-plumaged and greenish in color, the smaller species resembling wood warblers apart from their heavier bills...
s are a group of small to medium sized passerine birds restricted to the New World. They are typically greenish in colour and resemble wood warbler
Wood Warbler
The Wood Warbler is a common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe, and just into the extreme west of Asia in the southern Ural Mountains...
s apart from their heavier bills. There are about 52 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Philadelphia Vireo Philadelphia Vireo The Philadelphia Vireo, Vireo philadelphicus, is a small songbird.Adults are mainly olive-brown on the upperparts with yellow underparts; they have dark eyes and a grey crown. There is a dark line through the eyes and a white stripe just over them. They have thick blue-grey legs and a stout... |
Vireo philadelphicus | (A) |
Red-eyed Vireo Red-eyed Vireo The Red-eyed Vireo, Vireo olivaceus, is a small American songbird, 13–14 cm in length. It is somewhat warbler-like but not closely related to the New World warblers... |
Vireo olivaceus | (A) |
New World warblers
Order: Passeriformes. Family: ParulidaeThe New World warbler
New World warbler
The New World warblers or wood-warblers are a group of small, often colorful, passerine birds restricted to the New World. They are not related to the Old World warblers or the Australian warblers....
s are a group of small, often colourful, passerine birds restricted to the New World. Most are arboreal, but some are terrestrial. Most members of this family are insectivores. There are about 119 species worldwide and 11 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Blue-winged Warbler Blue-winged Warbler The Blue-winged Warbler, Vermivora cyanoptera, is a fairly common New World warbler, 11.5 cm long and weighing 8.5 g. It breeds in eastern North America in southern Ontario and the eastern USA. Its range is extending northwards, where it is replacing the very closely related... |
Vermivora pinus | (A) |
Northern Parula Northern Parula The Northern Parula, Parula americana, is a small New World warbler. It breeds in eastern North America from southern Canada to Florida.... |
Parula americana | (A) |
Yellow Warbler Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia is a New World warbler species or superspecies; the subspecies group around D. aestiva is increasingly treated as good species Dendroica aestiva again. The name for the entire cryptic species complex is Mangrove Warbler, and another group of subspecies is known as Golden Warbler... |
Dendroica petechia | (A) |
Yellow-rumped Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Four closely related North American bird forms—the eastern Myrtle Warbler , its western counterpart, Audubon's Warbler , the northwest Mexican Black-fronted Warbler , and the Guatemalan Goldman's Warbler —are periodically lumped as the Yellow-rumped Warbler .-Classification:Since... |
Dendroica coronata | (A) |
Blackpoll Warbler Blackpoll Warbler The Blackpoll Warbler, Dendroica striata , is a New World warbler. Breeding males are mostly black and white. They have a prominent black cap, white cheeks and white wing bars. The Blackpoll breeds in northern North America, from Alaska, through most of Canada, and into the Great Lakes region and... |
Dendroica striata | (A) |
Black-and-white Warbler Black-and-white Warbler The Black-and-white Warbler is a small New World warbler. It breeds in northern and eastern North America from southern Canada to Florida.... |
Mniotilta varia | (A) |
American Redstart American Redstart The American Redstart is a New World warbler. It is the only member of its genus and is unrelated to the Old World redstarts. It derives its name from the male's red tail, start being an old word for tail.-Description:... |
Setophaga ruticilla | (A) |
Ovenbird Ovenbird The Ovenbird is a small songbird of the New World warbler family . This migratory bird breeds in eastern North America and moves south in winter.-Taxonomy:... |
Seiurus aurocapilla | (A) |
Northern Waterthrush Northern Waterthrush The Northern Waterthrush is one of the larger New World warblers. It breeds in the northern part of North America in Canada, and in the northern United States, . This bird is migratory, wintering in Central America, the West Indies, and Florida; also Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador... |
Seiurus noveboracensis | (A) |
Common Yellowthroat Common Yellowthroat The Common Yellowthroat is a New World warbler. They are abundant breeders in North America, ranging from southern Canada to central Mexico.... |
Geothlypis trichas | (A) |
Canada Warbler Canada Warbler The Canada Warbler is a small 13 cm long songbird of the New World warbler family.These birds have yellow underparts, blue-grey upperparts and pink legs; they also have yellow eye-rings and thin, pointed bills. Adult males have black foreheads and black necklaces... |
Wilsonia canadensis | (A) |
Tanagers
Order: Passeriformes. Family: ThraupidaeThe tanager
Tanager
The tanagers comprise the bird family Thraupidae, in the order Passeriformes. The family has an American distribution.There were traditionally about 240 species of tanagers, but the taxonomic treatment of this family's members is currently in a state of flux...
s are a large group of small to medium-sized passerine birds restricted to the New World, mainly in the tropics. Many species are brightly coloured. They are seed eaters, but their preference tends towards fruit and nectar. Most have short, rounded wings. There are about 256 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Scarlet Tanager Scarlet Tanager The Scarlet Tanager is a medium-sized American songbird. Formerly placed in the tanager family , it and other members of its genus are now classified in the cardinal family . The species's plumage and vocalizations are similar to other members of the cardinal family.-Description:Adults have pale... |
Piranga olivacea | (A) |
Buntings and New World sparrows
Order: Passeriformes. Family: EmberizidaeEmberizidae
The Emberizidae are a large family of passerine birds. They are seed-eating birds with a distinctively shaped bill.In Europe, most species are called buntings. In North America, most of the species in this family are known as sparrows, but these birds are not closely related to the sparrows, the...
The emberizids are a large family of passerine birds. They are seed-eating birds with a distinctively shaped bill. In Europe, most species are named as buntings. In North America, most of the species in this family are known as sparrows, but these birds are not closely related to the Old World sparrows which are in the family Passeridae. Many emberizid species have distinctive head patterns. There are species 275 worldwide and 16 species which occur in Ireland plus one in Category D.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Yellowhammer Yellowhammer The Yellowhammer, Emberiza citrinella, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae. It is common in all sorts of open areas with some scrub or trees and form small flocks in winter.... |
Emberiza citrinella | |
Pine Bunting Pine Bunting The Pine Bunting, Emberiza leucocephalos, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group most modern authors now separate from the finches, Fringillidae.-Breeding and habitat:... |
Emberiza leucocephalos | (A) |
Cirl Bunting Cirl Bunting The Cirl Bunting , Emberiza cirlus, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae.... |
Emberiza cirlus | (A) |
Ortolan Bunting Ortolan Bunting The Ortolan, or Ortolan Bunting, Emberiza hortulana, is a bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a passerine family now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae... |
Emberiza hortulana | (A) |
Little Bunting Little Bunting The Little Bunting, Emberiza pusilla, is a passerine bird. It belongs to the bunting and American sparrow family , a group separated by most modern authors from the true finches .-Description:... |
Emberiza pusilla | (A) |
Rustic Bunting Rustic Bunting The Rustic Bunting, Emberiza rustica, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae.... |
Emberiza rustica | (A) |
Yellow-breasted Bunting Yellow-breasted Bunting The Yellow-breasted Bunting, Emberiza aureola, is an Eurasian passerine bird in the bunting family .This bird is similar in size to a Reed Bunting, but longer-billed... |
Emberiza aureola | (A) |
Black-headed Bunting Black-headed Bunting The Black-headed Bunting, Emberiza melanocephala, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae.... |
Emberiza melanocephala | (A) |
Red-headed Bunting Red-headed Bunting The Red-headed Bunting, Emberiza bruniceps, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae.It breeds in central Asia. It is migratory, wintering in India... |
Emberiza bruniceps | (Cat.D1) |
Reed Bunting Reed Bunting The Reed Bunting, Emberiza schoeniclus, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae.... |
Emberiza schoeniclus | |
Corn Bunting Corn Bunting The Corn Bunting, Miliaria calandra, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae... |
Emberiza calandra | (A, formerly bred) |
Fox Sparrow Fox Sparrow The Fox Sparrow is a large American sparrow. It is the only member of the genus Passerella, although some authors split the genus into four species .-Taxonomy:... |
Passerella iliaca | (A) |
White-crowned Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow The White-crowned Sparrow is a medium-sized sparrow native to North America.- Description :Adults are long and have black and white stripes on their head, a grey face, brown streaked upper parts and a long tail. The wings are brown with bars and the underparts are grey. Their bill is pink or yellow... |
Zonotrichia leucophrys | (A) |
White-throated Sparrow White-throated Sparrow The White-throated Sparrow is a passerine bird of the American sparrow family Emberizidae.-Description:The White-throated Sparrow is a passerine bird of the American sparrow family Emberizidae... |
Zonotrichia albicollis | (A) |
Dark-eyed Junco Dark-eyed Junco The Dark-eyed Junco is the best-known species of the juncos, a genus of small grayish American sparrows. This bird is common across much of temperate North America and in summer ranges far into the Arctic... |
Junco hyemalis | (A) |
Lapland Bunting Lapland Bunting The Lapland Longspur or Lapland Bunting, Calcarius lapponicus, is a passerine bird in the longspur family Calcariidae, a group separated by most modern authors from the Fringillidae .... |
Calcarius lapponicus | |
Snow Bunting Snow Bunting The Snow Bunting , sometimes colloquially called a snowflake, is a passerine bird in the longspur family Calcariidae. It is an arctic specialist, with a circumpolar Arctic breeding range throughout the northern hemisphere... |
Plectrophenax nivalis |
Cardinals and allies
Order: Passeriformes. Family: CardinalidaeThe cardinals are a family of passerine birds that are robust, seed-eating birds, with strong bills. They are typically associated with open woodland. The sexes usually have distinct plumages. There are about 43 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
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Rose-breasted Grosbeak Rose-breasted Grosbeak The Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Pheucticus ludovicianus, is a large seed-eating songbird in the cardinal family . It breeds in cool-temperate North America, migrating to tropical America in winter.-Description:... |
Pheucticus ludovicianus | (A) |
Indigo Bunting Indigo Bunting The Indigo Bunting, Passerina cyanea, is a small seed-eating bird in the family Cardinalidae. It is migratory, ranging from southern Canada to northern Florida during the breeding season, and from southern Florida to northern South America during the winter. It often migrates by night, using the... |
Passerina cyanea | (A) |
Troupials and allies
Order: Passeriformes. Family: IcteridaeThe icterids are a group of small to medium, often colourful, passerine birds restricted to the New World and include the grackle
Grackle
Grackle can refer to any of eleven black passerine birds native to North and South America. All are members of the Icterid family but belong to multiple genera.* Genus Quiscalus** Boat-tailed Grackle, Quiscalus major...
s, New World blackbird
New World blackbird
The New World blackbirds consist of 26 species of icterid birds that share the name blackbird but do not correspond with a formal taxon...
s, and New World oriole
New World oriole
New World orioles, comprising the genus Icterus, are a group of birds in the blackbird family. They are not related to Old World orioles which are in the family Oriolidae, but are strikingly similar in size, diet, behaviour and in their strongly contrasting plumage, and are a good example of...
s. Most species have black as the predominant plumage colour, often enlivened by yellow, orange or red. There are about 98 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
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Bobolink Bobolink The Bobolink is a small New World blackbird and the only member of genus Dolichonyx.-Description:Adults are 16–18 cm long with short finch-like bills. They weigh about . Adult males are mostly black, although they do display creamy napes, and white scapulars, lower backs and rumps... |
Dolichonyx oryzivorus | (A) |
Baltimore Oriole Baltimore Oriole The Baltimore Oriole is a small icterid blackbird that averages 18 cm long and weighs 34 g. This bird received its name from the fact that the male's colors resemble those on the coat-of-arms of Lord Baltimore... |
Icterus galbula | (A) |
Finches
Order: Passeriformes. Family: FringillidaeFinch
Finch
The true finches are passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. They are predominantly seed-eating songbirds. Most are native to the Northern Hemisphere, but one subfamily is endemic to the Neotropics, one to the Hawaiian Islands, and one subfamily – monotypic at genus level – is found...
es are seed-eating passerine birds, that are small to moderately large and have a strong beak, usually conical and in some species very large. All have 12 tail feathers and 9 primaries. These birds have a bouncing flight with alternating bouts of flapping and gliding on closed wings, and most sing well. There are about 137 species worldwide and 15 species which occur in Ireland plus one in Category D.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
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Chaffinch Chaffinch The Chaffinch , also called by a wide variety of other names, is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae.- Description :... |
Fringilla coelebs | |
Brambling Brambling The Brambling, Fringilla montifringilla, is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae.- Etymology :The common English name is probably derived from the German "brâma", meaning bramble or a thorny bush. It has also been called the Cock o' the North and the Mountain Finch.- Description... |
Fringilla montifringilla | |
Common Rosefinch Common Rosefinch The Common Rosefinch is the most widespread and common rosefinch of Europe, where it has spread westward from Asia in recent decades: it has even been recorded breeding in England once... |
Carpodacus erythrinus | (A) |
Crossbill Crossbill The crossbill is a bird in the finch family . The three to five species are all classified in the genus Loxia. These birds are characterised by the mandibles crossing at their tips, which gives the group its English name... |
Loxia curvirostra | |
Two-barred Crossbill Two-barred Crossbill The Two-barred Crossbill , known as the White-winged Crossbill in North America, is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae... |
Loxia leucoptera | (A) |
European Greenfinch European Greenfinch The European Greenfinch, or just Greenfinch, Carduelis chloris, is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. The genus Carduelis might be split up and in this case, the greenfinches would be separated in their old genus Chloris again.This bird is widespread throughout Europe, north... |
Carduelis chloris | |
Common Redpoll Common Redpoll The Common Redpoll is a species in the finch family. It breeds somewhat further south than the Arctic Redpoll, also in habitats with thickets or shrubs. Nominate C. f. flammea breeds across the northern parts of North America and Eurasia. There is also an Icelandic subspecies, Icelandic Redpoll... |
Carduelis flammea | |
Arctic Redpoll Arctic Redpoll The Arctic Redpoll , known in North America as the Hoary Redpoll, is a bird species in the finch family Fringillidae. It breeds in tundra birch forest. It has two subspecies, C. h. hornemanni of Greenland and neighbouring parts of Canada, and C. h... |
Carduelis hornemanni | (A) |
Eurasian Siskin Eurasian Siskin The Eurasian Siskin is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It is also called the European Siskin, Common Siskin or just Siskin. Other names include Black-headed Goldfinch, barley bird and aberdevine. It is very common throughout Europe and Asia... |
Carduelis spinus | |
European Goldfinch European Goldfinch The European Goldfinch or Goldfinch is a small passerine bird in the finch family.-Habitat and range:The goldfinch breeds across Europe, North Africa, and western and central Asia, in open, partially wooded lowlands. It is resident in the milder west of its range, but migrates from colder regions... |
Carduelis carduelis | |
American Goldfinch American Goldfinch The American Goldfinch , also known as the Eastern Goldfinch and Wild Canary, is a small North American bird in the finch family... |
Carduelis tristis | (Cat. D1) |
Twite Twite The Twite is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae.The Twite is a small finch, similar in size and shape to a Linnet. Birds of the subspecies flavirostris are long, and those of the subspecies altaica are long. It lacks the red head patch and breast shown by the Linnet and the... |
Carduelis flavirostris | |
Eurasian Linnet | Carduelis cannabina | |
European Serin European Serin The European Serin, or just Serin is the smallest European species of the family of finches and is closely related to the Canary. Its diet consists mainly of a combination of buds and seeds.-Description:... |
Serinus serinus | (A) |
Eurasian Bullfinch Eurasian Bullfinch The Bullfinch, Common Bullfinch or Eurasian Bullfinch is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. In Anglophone Europe it is known simply as Bullfinch, as it is the original bird to bear the name bullfinch.This bird breeds across Europe and temperate Asia... |
Pyrrhula pyrrhula | |
Hawfinch Hawfinch The Hawfinch, Coccothraustes coccothraustes, is a passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. Its closest living relatives are the Evening Grosbeak from North America and the Hooded Grosbeak from Central America especially Mexico.This bird breeds across Europe and temperate Asia... |
Coccothraustes coccothraustes | (A) |
Sparrows
Order: Passeriformes. Family: PasseridaeSparrow
Sparrow
The sparrows are a family of small passerine birds, Passeridae. They are also known as true sparrows, or Old World sparrows, names also used for a genus of the family, Passer...
s are small passerine birds. In general, sparrows tend to be small, plump, brown or grey birds with short tails and short powerful beaks. Sparrows are seed-eaters, and they also consume small insects. There are about 35 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Ireland.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
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House Sparrow House Sparrow The House Sparrow is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world. One of about 25 species in the genus Passer, the House Sparrow occurs naturally in most of Europe, the Mediterranean region, and much of Asia... |
Passer domesticus | |
Eurasian Tree Sparrow | Passer montanus |
External links
- Oiseaux Ireland page. Many photos. Not all species.
- Irish Birding Latest sightings.
- Irish Rare Birds Committee
- NIBWA Northern Ireland Bird watchers Association.
- NIOC Northern Ireland Ornithologists Club. Excellent photographs