THE IRISH MAIL ON SUNDAY GUIDE TO GARDEN BIRDS
Put a tick in the box beside each bird when you’ve spotted it
TREE SPARROW
Also known as: Gealbhainn Crann Did you know? Their numbers have declined seriously in recent years. Best site for spotting – North Slob, Co. Wexford.
GREAT TIT
Also known as: Meantán Mór Did you know? Nests have been found in the holes in scaffolding poles and in letterboxes. One of Ireland’s top 20 most widespread garden birds.
BLACKBIRD
Also known as: Lon Dubh Did you know? Blackbirds sunbathe – by lying on the ground with wings spread out. Commonest Irish member of the thrush family.
GOLDFINCH
Also known as: Lasair Choille Did you know: Goldfinches were popular as caged birds during the 19th Century, which decimated their numbers. Still one of Ireland’s top 20 most common garden birds.
STARLING
Also known as: Stare, Druid Did you know? Their spectacular flocks and aerobatic displays, known as ‘murmurations’, can contain millions of birds. Very numerous in Ireland.
LONG TAILED TIT
Also known as: Meantán Earrfhada Did you know? They have been nicknamed ‘flying lollipops’ due to their short body shape and long tail. Common throughout Ireland.
WOODPIGEON
Also known as: Colm Coille Did you know? These big birds sometimes eat root crops. Breeds throughout Ireland except for high ground, and their chicks are known as squabs.
ROBIN
Also known as: Redbreast, Spideog Did you know? You’ll often spot them when gardening, hoping you’ll turn over soil and expose worms and grubs. Widespread throughout Ireland.
SONG THRUSH
Also known as: Smólach Ceoil, Mavis, Throstle Did you know? Thrushes use ‘tools’, smashing open the shells of snails on large stones to get at the food inside. One of Ireland’s most common garden birds.
CHAFFINCH
Also known as: Rí Rua Did you know? They have different accents. Chaffinches from France sing different songs from those in Britain, and even within the UK there is a variety. Ireland’s most common finch.
BLUE TIT
Also known as: Meantán Gorm Did you know? Weighs little more than a €2 coin. Common throughout Ireland.
JACKDAW
Also known as: Cág, Caddaw Did you know? They will eat young birds and other birds’ eggs, and will nest in anything from a hole in a tree to a chimney. Very numerous in Ireland and UK.
COAL TIT
Also known as: Meantán Dubh Black Ox-Eye Did you know? These birds often store food to eat later. Widespread.
BULLFINCH
Also known as: Corcrán Coille Alp, Nope Did you know? The name comes from the bird’s front-heavy, bull-headed appearance.
HOUSE SPARROW
Also known as: Gealbhan Binne Did you know? They usually live near people, but one sparrow nest was found nearly 2,000ft down a mine shaft in Yorkshire. Common in Ireland. and Britain
BLACKCAP
Also known as: Nightingale of the North; Caipín Dubh. Did you know? Mainly a summer visitor from Africa to deciduous woodlands, where it can be difficult to see, but the jaunty song is notable. Over the last 25 years blackcaps have been over-wintering in Ireland in increasing numbers. These individuals come here from a separate, European population.
GREENFINCH
Also known as: Green Olf, Greeney, Green Lennart, Glasán Darach Did you know? A sharp decline in numbers has been linked to an outbreak of trichomonosis, a parasite-induced disease that prevents the birds feeding properly. The greenfinch is now rated ‘Endangered’ in the UK, and its numbers are down in Ireland too.
COLLAR RED DOVE
Also known as: Fearán Baicdhubh. Did you know? It only arrived in Ireland in 1959, after a rapid expansion through Europe in the preceding decades. It is now a widespread bird in here but it shows a marked preference for suburbs.
HOODED CROW
Also known as Caróg Liath Did you know? They are often seen eating roadkill. A common and widespread bird across Ireland.
FERAL PIGEON
Also known as Colm Aille Did you know? This common and widespread bird is descended from domesticated varieties of the wild Rock Dove, which is now a very scarce species that, in Ireland, is confined to a few remote coastal areas.
ROOK
Also known as: Rúcach Did you know? A group of rooks is known as a parliament. Intelligent and sociable.
JAY
Also known as: Scréachóg, Devil Scritch Did you know? They sometimes eat other birds’ chicks and small mammals. Jays store acorns for the winter: the ones they forget about grow into oak trees. Much more shy than the British variety..
PHEASANT
Also known as: Piasún Did you know? They were introduced to Ireland for shooting, and thousands are released annually for this purpose. Loves dense cover.
DUNNOCK
Also known as: Hedge Sparrow, Donnóg Did you know? These tiny birds become very animated in the presence of rivals, with lots of wing-flicking and loud calling.
WREN
Also known as: Dreolín, Toddy, Sumpit Did you know? Wrens may roost communally, with up to 50 birds noted using a single nestbox.
BLACKHEADED GULL
Also known as: Sléibhín, Petch Did you know? In winter their chocolate hood is replaced by a spot behind the eye. They can live for ten years. Colonies are found inland in Galway, Monaghan and Mayo.
GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER
Also known as: Mórchnagaire Breac Did you know? These birds have air pockets in their skulls to cushion the blows as the bird drums on a tree or post. Only a handful breed in Ireland.
SISKIN
Also known as: Siscín Did you know? A German myth suggests that they become invisible during the breeding season, thanks to a magic stone in their nest. Breeds throughout Ireland.
MAGPIE
Also known as: Snag Breac, Chatterpie, Meg, Pianet Did you know? When seen close up, the magpie’s black plumage takes on a more colourful hue, with a purplish-blue sheen to the wing feathers and a green gloss to the tail. They’re omnivores so will scavenge anything, including the eggs and young of other species
GOLDCREST
Also known as: Cíorbhuí, Marigold Finch Did you know? Along with firecrests, they are Ireland’s smallest birds. Hard to spot as they are always moving from branch to branch.