Thrushes and Wheatears Turdidae (29)

(Banner Photos: Song Thrush by Jim Wilson)

White's Thrush Zoothera dauma
Rare vagrant.
One county record up to the end of 2014.

1842 Near Bandon, shot, 5th December, now at Trinity College, Dublin. (Thompson I:128) This is the first Irish Record.

Distribution: It breeds in wet coniferous taiga, mainly in eastern Asia and Siberia. Northern races are strongly migratory, with most birds moving to southeastern Asia during the winter. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe.

Siberian Thrush Zoothera sibirica
Rare vagrant.
One county record up to the end of 2014.

1985 Cape Clear Island, immature female, 18th October. This is the first Irish Record.

Distribution: 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.

Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus
Rare vagrant.
Two county records up to the end of 2014.

2006 Cape Clear Island, first-winter, 19th and 20th October. Second county and Irish record.
1998 Galley Head, first-year, 25th to 26th October, first Irish record.

Distribution: Breeds in northern and central/west North America and winters in southern North America. (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)

Swainson’s Thrush Catharus ustulatus
Rare vagrant.
Four county records up to the end of 2014.

2008 Dirk Bay, Galley Head, first-year, 11th October.
1999 Garinish, West Beara, 11th to 12th October.
1990 Cape Clear Island, 8th October.
1968 Cape Clear Island, 14th to 16th October.

Distribution: Breeds across northern North America and winters in Central America and in parts of western South America. (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)

Grey-cheeked Thrush Catharus minimus
Rare vagrant.
Five county records up to the end of 2014.

2005 Cape Clear Island, 29th October to 6th November.
2005 Old Head of Kinsale, first-winter, 8th to 12th October.
1990 Cape Clear Island, first-winter, trapped, 6th to 7th October.
1988 Cape Clear Island, first-winter, trapped, 9th to 12th October.
1982 Cape Clear Island, first-winter, caught by hand after being hit by a Sparrowhawk, Accipiter nisus 19th October.

Distribution: Breeds across northern North America and winters in northern South America. (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)

Swainson's Thrush/Grey-cheeked Thrush Catharus minimus/ustulatus
Rare vagrant.
One county record up to the end of 2014.

2007 Cape Clear Island, 15th October.

Distribution: See species accounts above.

Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus
Scarce passage migrant. Breeding status uncertain, though has bred in small numbers in the past.

Blackbird Turdus merula
Common resident and passage migrant. Summer Distribution Winter Distribution

Fieldfare Turdus pilaris
Common winter visitor. Winter Distribution

Distribution: a widespread breeder in central and northern Europe, but winters
across much of the continent, which constitutes >75% of its global wintering range. (Birdlife International)

Song Thrush Turdus philomelos
Common resident and passage migrant. Appears to be declining in many areas. Summer Distribution Winter Distribution

Redwing Turdus iliacus
Common winter visitor. Winter Distribution

Distribution: a widespread breeder in northern Europe, but winters across much of the continent, which constitutes >50% of its global wintering range. (Birdlife international)

Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus
Uncommon though widespread resident. Summer Distribution Winter Distribution

American Robin Turdus migratorius
Rare vagrant.
One county record up to the end of 2014.

1977 Glengarriff, 16th January.

Distribution: Resident across central North America migratory further north and found only in winter in the extreme south of North America. (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)

Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin Cercotrichas galactotes
Rare vagrant.
Two county records up to the end of 2014.

1968 Cape Clear Island, 20th April.
1876 Old Head of Kinsale, shot, 10th September, now at Queen's College Museum, Cork, C. g. galactotes. R. J. Ussher,          Zoologist 1883: 30-31

Distribution: a widespread but patchily distributed summer visitor to southernmost Europe, which accounts for less than half of its global breeding range. (Birdlife International)

Red-flanked Blue-tail Tarsiger cyanurus
Rare vagrant.
Three county (and Irish) records up to the end of 2014.

2012 Galley Head, 26th March.
2010 Cape Clear Island, 12th October.
2009 Dursey Island, 10th November. The bird had previously been ringed. This is the first Irish record.

Distribution: a predominantly Asian distribution, but its breeding range also extends into the boreal zone of European Russia and Finland. (Birdlife International)

Robin Erithacus rubecula
Common resident & passage migrant. Summer Distribution Winter Distribution

Thrush Nightingale Luscinia luscinia
Rare vagrant.
Three county records up to the end of 2014.

1999 Cape Clear Island, first-winter, trapped, 15th October.
1990 Cape Clear Island, first-winter, 26th October.
1989 Cape Clear Island, 29th October to 1st November.

Distribution: a widespread summer visitor to north-eastern Europe, which constitutes >50% of its global breeding range. (Birdlife International)

Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos
Rare vagrant.
11 records up to the end of 2103 involving 12 birds.

2014 Cape Clear, one on the 11th October.
2013 Garinish, one on the 21st September.
2013 Mizen Head, one on the 4th September.
2000 Ballycotton, one from the 21st to the 23rd April.
1999 Cape Clear Island, one on the 5th September.
1998 Garinish, West Beara, one on the 28th August.
1995 Dursey Sound, one on the 9th May.
1981 Cape Clear Island, one on the 5th October.
1976 Cape Clear Island, two from the 1st to the 2nd October.
1970 Cape Clear Island, one from the 20th to the 24th August.
1968 Cape Clear Island, one from the 16th to the 20th April.

Distribution: a widespread summer visitor to southern and western Europe, which constitutes >50% of its global breeding range. Breeds in the UK. (Birdlife International)

Bluethroat Luscinia svecica
Rare vagrant.
21 county records up to the end of 2014. Recorded in April, May, and August to November.

2013 Mizen head, one on the 3rd October.
2009 Ballycotton, one first-winter from the 8th to the 23rd November.
2009 Three Castles Head, one on the 1st November.
2003 Dursey Island, a first-winter female on the 14th October.
2004 Dursey Island, one male from the 19th to the 2oth October.
1995 Kilcolman NNR, a male red-spotted, singing from the 6th to the 14th April.
1992 Cape Clear Island, one on the 23rd September.
1992 Cape Clear Island, one female on the 26th May.
1988 Cape Clear Island, an immature male on the 21st October.
1976 Cape Clear Island, one on the 30th September.
1976 Galley Head, one from the 27th to the 28th September.
1976 Cape Clear Island, one on the 27th September.
1973 Cape Clear Island, one adult from the 15th to the 19th October.
1972 Cape Clear Island, one adult from the 12th to the 13th October.
1970 Ballycotton, one on the 22nd September.
1970 Cape Clear Island, one on the 3rd October.
1967 Cape Clear Island, one on the 5th October.
1960 Cape Clear Island, one on the 23 October.
1960 Cape Clear Island, one on the 28th August.
1959 Cape Clear Island, one from the 17th to the 18th October.
1959 Cape Clear Island, one from the 17th to the 18th September.

Distribution: a widespread breeder across much of northern Europe, and occurs more patchily farther south, with Europe accounting for less than a quarter of its global breeding range. (Birdlife International)

Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros
Common passage migrant in autumn, uncommon in spring, & now overwintering regularly in small but ever increasing numbers. Rare in summer. Winter Distribution

Distribution: a widespread breeder across much of Europe, which accounts for less than half of its global breeding range. Rare breeder in the UK. (Birdlife International)

Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus
Scarce passage migrant, chiefly in autumn.

Distribution: a widespread summer visitor to Europe, which constitutes >50% of its global breeding range. A rare breeding species in Ireland but not known to breed in county Cork. (Birdlife International)

Whinchat Saxicola rubetra
Scarce passage migrant, mostly in autumn.

Stonechat Saxicola torquata
Common resident. Summer Distribution Winter Distribution

An 'Eastern Stonechat' (maurus/stejnegeri) was seen at Galley HEad on the 8th October 2010.
All found between 24th September and 27th October.

Siberian Stonechat Saxicola maura
Rare vagrant.

Four county records up to 2010.

Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina
Rare vagrant.
One county record up to the end of 2014.

1992 Mizen Head, 10th to 17th October.

Distribution: a widespread summer visitor to south-eastern Europe, which accounts for less than a quarter of its global breeding range. (Birdlife International)

Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe
Common passage migrant and summer visitor. Summer Distribution Winter Distribution

Pied Wheatear Oenanthe pleschanka
Rare vagrant.
One county record up to the end of 2014.

1980 Knockadoon Head, first-winter male, 8th to 16th November, trapped 9th November.

Distribution: a widespread summer visitor to much of south-eastern Europe, which accounts for less than a quarter of its global breeding range. (Birdlife International)

Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe hispanica
Rare vagrant.
One county record up to the end of 2014.

1992 Cape Clear Island, first-year male, 26th to 27th May, O. h. hispanica.

Distribution: a widespread summer visitor to southern Europe, which constitutes >50% of its global breeding range. (Birdlife International)

Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti
Rare vagrant.
Two county records up to the end of 2014.

1995 Garryvoe, first-winter male, 26th to 27th November.
1990 Red Strand, Dirk Bay, adult male, 27th October to 2nd November.

Distribution: breeds in Azerbaijan and Turkey, with Europe accounting for a tiny proportion of its global breeding range. (Birdlife International)