A FIELD GUIDE TO IRELAND
From Dublin’s street pigeons and park ducks to the gulls and waders of the bay. Explore Ireland’s birds and keep a photographic record of your encounters.
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Start with these 125 feathered neighbours.
Every identification brings you closer to nature.
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Garden birds
01
Erithacus rubecula
One of Ireland’s most familiar garden birds. Its orange-red face and breast, rounded shape and slim legs make it recognisable throughout the year.
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Garden birds
02
Cyanistes caeruleus
A lively splash of blue and yellow, with a blue crown, white cheeks and a yellow belly. A regular visitor to garden feeders.
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Garden birds
03
Parus major
Ireland’s largest tit. Its black head, white cheeks and bold stripe down a yellow belly give it a distinctive, neatly dressed appearance.
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Thrushes
04
Turdus merula
A familiar garden songbird with a rich, flowing evening song. Adult males are glossy black with a bright yellow-orange bill and eye-ring.
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Urban birds
05
Passer domesticus
A sociable neighbour of people. Its familiar chirping is part of the soundscape of towns, farms and residential streets.
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Finches
06
Fringilla coelebs
A colourful, familiar finch of woodland and gardens. Two white wing-bars and white outer tail feathers are particularly noticeable in flight.
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Crows and relatives
07
Pica pica
An adaptable, intelligent bird with an unmistakably long tail. Its apparently black plumage shines blue and green in sunlight.
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Finches
08
Carduelis carduelis
A striking little finch with a red face, black-and-white head and bright yellow wing band, which flashes as it flies.
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Urban birds
09
Sturnus vulgaris
Dark at a distance, but patterned with purple-green iridescence and pale spots up close. Large winter evening flocks can form spectacular murmurations.
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Wetland birds
10
Ardea cinerea
A tall, patient hunter that stands almost motionless in shallow water before striking at fish with a rapid thrust of its neck.
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Wetland birds
11
Alcedo atthis
A flash of electric blue low over the water is often the first glimpse. At rest, its orange underside contrasts with a jewel-like blue-green back.
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Seabirds
12
Fratercula arctica
One of the stars of Ireland’s seabird cliffs. Breeding adults have a colourful broad bill and black-and-white plumage, and are powerful underwater swimmers.
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Pigeons and doves
13
Columba livia
A familiar neighbour on Dublin’s streets. City pigeons are mostly descendants of domestic birds and belong to the same species as wild Rock Doves, but their colours vary widely.
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Pigeons and doves
14
Columba palumbus
The particularly large pigeon with white patches on its neck in a Dublin park is often a Woodpigeon. It is bulkier than a city pigeon, with a softly pink-purple breast.
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Gulls
15
Larus argentatus
A familiar large gull on Dublin’s rooftops and around its harbours. An adult’s pale grey back and pink legs make a useful starting point for learning gull identification.
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Gulls
16
Larus fuscus
Darker-backed than a Herring Gull, with yellow legs in adults. ‘Lesser’ refers to its size relative to the Great Black-backed Gull: this is still a large bird.
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Gulls
17
Larus marinus
The world’s largest gull. Alongside other gulls, its powerful bill, thick neck and very dark back are particularly striking.
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Gulls
18
Chroicocephalus ridibundus
A small gull of rivers, park ponds and the bay. Despite its name, its winter head is mostly white with just a dark spot behind the eye.
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Seabirds
19
Phalacrocorax carbo
A dark, expert diver often seen spreading its wings on a rock or post. It is at home not only on the coast, but also on rivers running through the city.
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Seabirds
20
Gulosus aristotelis
A more slender coastal diver than the Cormorant, with green-glossed dark plumage. Breeding adults have a small, forward-curling crest.
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Waders
21
Haematopus ostralegus
Its black-and-white body and long orange-red bill make this one of the easiest Dublin shorebirds to recognise. Look for it searching mud and rocks as the tide retreats.
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Ducks, geese and swans
22
Branta bernicla
An iconic winter visitor to Dublin. Most belong to the light-bellied subspecies, travelling from the High Arctic to feed around the bay and on coastal lawns.
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Waders
23
Tringa totanus
A quick-stepping wader of the mudflats. Its orange-red legs and alert calls are familiar features of Dublin Bay in winter.
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Waders
24
Numenius arquata
Its long, downcurved bill is unmistakable at a good view. Although winter birds still visit the bay, Ireland’s local breeding population has declined severely.
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Waders
25
Arenaria interpres
A compact, busy shorebird that turns over seaweed and small stones in search of food. Its short legs do not stop it moving nimbly around piers and rocks.
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Seabirds
26
Morus bassanus
Look out to sea from Howth for this spectacular plunge-diving fisher. Adults have long white wings with black tips and a flight shape quite different from a gull’s.
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Ducks, geese and swans
27
Anas platyrhynchos
One of the most familiar ducks on park ponds. A breeding male’s green head is striking, while the female’s brown markings blend into waterside vegetation.
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Ducks, geese and swans
28
Cygnus olor
The large white swan familiar on Dublin’s canals. Its curved neck is elegant, but it is not completely silent: a threatened bird may hiss.
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Garden birds
29
Troglodytes troglodytes
A tiny bird of dense cover with a remarkably powerful song.
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Garden birds
30
Prunella modularis
An unobtrusive hedge-bottom bird, not a sparrow despite its old nickname.
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Garden birds
31
Periparus ater
A small black-and-white-headed tit of conifers and garden feeders.
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Garden birds
32
Aegithalos caudatus
A tiny, long-tailed bird usually travelling in sociable flocks.
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Woodland birds
33
Regulus regulus
A minute woodland bird that is easily overlooked among conifer needles.
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Thrushes
34
Turdus philomelos
A spotted thrush known for repeating short phrases in its song.
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Thrushes
35
Turdus viscivorus
A large spotted thrush often singing from an exposed treetop.
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Thrushes
36
Turdus iliacus
A small winter thrush arriving with autumn migration and cold weather.
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Thrushes
37
Turdus pilaris
A large grey-headed winter thrush, often in mixed flocks with Redwings.
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Finches
38
Chloris chloris
A chunky green finch with a powerful seed-cracking bill.
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Finches
39
Pyrrhula pyrrhula
A quiet hedge and woodland finch with a striking pink-breasted male.
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Finches
40
Spinus spinus
A small agile finch often feeding acrobatically in alders or at feeders.
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Finches
41
Acanthis flammea
A small red-crowned finch; this entry treats the redpoll forms together.
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Finches
42
Linaria cannabina
A sociable finch of scrub, farmland and coastal rough ground.
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Farmland birds
43
Emberiza citrinella
A yellow farmland bunting, now local rather than common everywhere in Ireland.
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Wetland birds
44
Emberiza schoeniclus
A streaked bunting of reedbeds and damp field edges.
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Woodland birds
45
Sylvia atricapilla
A rich-voiced woodland warbler that also visits gardens in winter.
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Woodland birds
46
Phylloscopus collybita
Often best separated from Willow Warbler by its repeated two-note song.
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Woodland birds
47
Phylloscopus trochilus
A spring warbler with a soft, descending song.
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Wetland birds
48
Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
An energetic, streaked wetland warbler with exuberant song flights.
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Farmland birds
49
Curruca communis
A summer songster often appearing on the top of a bush.
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Crows and relatives
50
Corvus frugilegus
A sociable farmland crow nesting in noisy treetop colonies.
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Crows and relatives
51
Coloeus monedula
A small sociable crow of chimneys, towers and parks.
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Crows and relatives
52
Corvus cornix
Ireland's familiar grey-and-black crow.
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Crows and relatives
53
Corvus corax
A very large crow with a deep, resonant call.
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Pigeons and doves
54
Streptopelia decaocto
A softly coloured dove with a repetitive call around settlements.
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Pigeons and doves
55
Columba oenas
A discreet pigeon easily overlooked among Woodpigeons or feral pigeons.
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Farmland birds
56
Motacilla alba
A black-and-white bird that walks briskly while wagging its long tail.
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Wetland birds
57
Motacilla cinerea
A streamside wagtail with a surprisingly bright yellow undertail.
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Farmland birds
58
Anthus pratensis
A familiar streaked little bird of grassland and bogs.
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Farmland birds
59
Anthus petrosus
A coastal pipit often picking its way through rocks and seaweed.
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Farmland birds
60
Alauda arvensis
A characteristic open-country bird famous for singing high overhead.
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Farmland birds
61
Saxicola rubicola
Often perches on gorse or fences, giving stone-tapping calls.
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Farmland birds
62
Oenanthe oenanthe
A white-rumped bird of summer uplands and spring or autumn migration.
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Swallows, martins and swifts
63
Hirundo rustica
A long-tailed aerial insect hunter and a familiar sign of spring.
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Swallows, martins and swifts
64
Delichon urbicum
A mud-nesting bird of eaves, recognised by its bright white rump.
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Swallows, martins and swifts
65
Riparia riparia
A small brown martin nesting in tunnels in sandy banks.
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Swallows, martins and swifts
66
Apus apus
A highly aerial bird whose screaming flocks enliven summer towns.
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Farmland birds
67
Cuculus canorus
A summer visitor more often heard than seen.
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Woodland birds
68
Dendrocopos major
An expanding Irish woodland resident, still much easier to find in some areas.
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Birds of prey
69
Buteo buteo
Often seen circling above fields or perched on roadside posts.
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Birds of prey
70
Falco tinnunculus
A small falcon well known for hovering into the wind.
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Birds of prey
71
Accipiter nisus
A woodland hawk that can dart through gardens after small birds.
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Birds of prey
72
Falco peregrinus
A powerful falcon nesting on cliffs and some tall urban structures.
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Birds of prey
73
Tyto alba
A pale nocturnal owl of farmland; observe without approaching roosts or nests.
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Birds of prey
74
Asio otus
A secretive woodland owl whose ear tufts are not always raised.
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Wetland birds
75
Gallinula chloropus
A pond bird with a colourful bill and a habit of flicking its short tail.
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Wetland birds
76
Fulica atra
A rounded waterbird with a conspicuous white forehead shield.
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Wetland birds
77
Tachybaptus ruficollis
A compact grebe that repeatedly dives and resurfaces on ponds.
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Wetland birds
78
Podiceps cristatus
A long-necked grebe famous for its elaborate courtship displays.
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Wetland birds
79
Egretta garzetta
A small white heron that feeds actively in shallow water.
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Ducks, geese and swans
80
Aythya fuligula
A familiar diving duck on park lakes, with strongly different male and female plumage.
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Ducks, geese and swans
81
Anas crecca
A very small duck often gathering in shallow water in winter.
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Ducks, geese and swans
82
Mareca penelope
A winter duck often grazing in groups beside water.
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Ducks, geese and swans
83
Spatula clypeata
Its exceptionally broad, shovel-shaped bill is useful in both sexes.
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Ducks, geese and swans
84
Tadorna tadorna
A large, boldly patterned duck with a goose-like stance.
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Ducks, geese and swans
85
Mareca strepera
A subtly patterned duck with finely textured grey male plumage.
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Ducks, geese and swans
86
Aythya ferina
A diving duck seen mainly in winter in Ireland.
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Ducks, geese and swans
87
Bucephala clangula
A winter diving duck with a distinctive angular head and bright eye.
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Ducks, geese and swans
88
Mergus serrator
A shaggy-crested, red-billed duck often seen on coastal water.
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Ducks, geese and swans
89
Mergus merganser
A large fish-eating duck occurring locally on rivers and lakes.
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Ducks, geese and swans
90
Cygnus cygnus
A vocal winter swan, with many Irish visitors coming from Iceland.
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Ducks, geese and swans
91
Anser anser
A bulky grey goose with both feral resident and wintering wild populations.
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Ducks, geese and swans
92
Branta canadensis
An introduced goose established locally on lakes and in parks.
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Waders
93
Vanellus vanellus
A crested wader with broad, rounded wings and a tumbling display flight.
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Waders
94
Charadrius hiaticula
A small plover that runs and pauses across sand and shingle.
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Waders
95
Calidris alpina
A familiar small, long-billed wader of winter mudflats.
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Waders
96
Calidris alba
A pale little wader that runs along the edge of breaking waves.
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Waders
97
Calidris canutus
A compact medium-sized wader forming dense winter flocks.
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Waders
98
Limosa limosa
A long-legged, long-billed wader with a bold black-and-white flight pattern.
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Waders
99
Limosa lapponica
A coastal godwit easily confused with Black-tailed Godwit.
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Waders
100
Pluvialis apricaria
Often joins Lapwings in open fields during winter.
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Waders
101
Pluvialis squatarola
A sturdy coastal plover found on estuaries in winter.
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Waders
102
Gallinago gallinago
A cryptically patterned long-billed wader of wet grass and mud.
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Waders
103
Tringa nebularia
A pale, long-legged wader with a slightly upturned bill.
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Waders
104
Actitis hypoleucos
A riverside wader that flies low and habitually bobs its rear end.
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Waders
105
Numenius phaeopus
A smaller curlew-like wader most often encountered on passage.
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Gulls
106
Larus canus
A smaller gull regularly seen on fields and bays in winter.
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Gulls
107
Rissa tridactyla
A small ocean-going gull nesting in colonies on sea cliffs.
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Seabirds
108
Sterna hirundo
A pointed-winged fishing bird of summer harbours and bays.
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Seabirds
109
Sterna paradisaea
A delicate tern famous for its exceptionally long migrations.
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Seabirds
110
Thalasseus sandvicensis
A relatively large tern with a shaggy crest and rasping call.
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Seabirds
111
Uria aalge
An upright seabird often packed onto narrow cliff ledges.
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Seabirds
112
Alca torda
A black-and-white auk with a distinctive deep bill.
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Seabirds
113
Fulmarus glacialis
Gull-like at first glance, but a stiff-winged glider in the petrel family.
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Seabirds
114
Puffinus puffinus
A black-and-white shearwater banking low over the waves.
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Farmland birds
115
Phasianus colchicus
A familiar long-tailed gamebird with introduced origins in Ireland.
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Woodland birds
116
Certhia familiaris
A well-camouflaged bird spiralling up tree trunks.
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Wetland birds
117
Cinclus cinclus
A compact river bird capable of feeding underwater in fast currents.
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Ducks, geese and swans
118
Branta leucopsis
A striking goose wintering especially along western and northwestern coasts.
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Seabirds
119
Cepphus grylle
A red-footed auk of rocky shores and some harbours.
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Wetland birds
120
Rallus aquaticus
A secretive wetland bird more often heard than seen.
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Crows and relatives
121
Garrulus glandarius
A colourful woodland crow whose blue wing patch often catches the eye.
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Ducks, geese and swans
122
Somateria mollissima
A large sea duck most readily found along northern coasts.
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Birds of prey
123
Milvus milvus
A reintroduced raptor now established in parts of Ireland.
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Crows and relatives
124
Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
A red-billed crow of western and southern coastal cliffs.
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Woodland birds
125
Muscicapa striata
Often returns to the same perch after catching an insect in mid-air.
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