Bustards

Bustards Little Bustard Bustard beag Tetrax tetrax Rare vagrant. Two county records up to the end of 2020. 1883 Youghal Bay, 14th November, now at National Museum, Dublin. H. F. Allin, Field 8th Dec., 1883: 799 1860 Ballycotton Bay, shot, 24th December. Lord Clermont, Zoologist 1861: 7385 Global Distribution: It has two widely separated breeding…

Buntings

Buntings Snow Bunting Gealóg Shneachta Plectrophenax nivalis Scarce autumn passage migrant & occasional winter visitor, rare in spring. Recorded in all months except June, July and August. Most seen in October. Global Distribution: A widespread breeder in northernmost Europe, which accounts for less than a quarter of its global breeding range. Does not breed in Ireland.…

Bee-eaters

Bee-eaters European Bee-eater Beachadóir Eorpach Merops apiaster Rare vagrant. 16 county records involving 25 birds up to the end of 2020. 2020 Sherkin Island, two on the 9th May. 2019 Mizen Head, one on the 20th April. 2018 Dursey Island, two on the 29th April. 2014 Dursey Island, one on the 19th April. 2011 Dursey…

Auks

Auks Common Guillemot Foracha Uria aalge Common and widespread offshore throughout the year, breeds at a number of coastal sites. Over 3,700 breeding pairs were counted between 1998 and 2002. Global Distribution: This species has a circumpolar distribution, occurring in the low-arctic and boreal waters of the North Atlantic and North Pacific (del Hoyo et al.…

Albatrosses, Shearwaters, Petrels

Albatrosses, Shearwaters, Petrels  Albatross sp. Speiceas Albatras Diomedea/Thalassarche sp. Rare vagrant. Three county records of unidentified albatross up to the end of 2020. Apart from a few species in the Pacific all breed and live in the southern hemisphere. 2012 Mizen Head, unaged, 21st October. 1991 Dursey Island, adult, 8th October. 1967 Cape Clear Island,…

Accentors

Accentors Dunnock Bráthair an Dreoilín/Donnóg Prunella modularis Common resident breeding species. Global Distribution: Europe, north Africa, Middle East and west Asia.   Summer Distribution   Winter Distribution