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. Also found in Asia, North America, Greenland and Iceland.

Lapland Bunting (Longspur) Gealóg Laplannach Calcarius lapponicus

Very scarce passage migrant & rare winter and spring visitor.

At least 239 birds recorded in the county up to 2006.
53 records involving 84 birds up to the end of 1988, when it was taken off the IRBC rarities list.

Analysis of these records show the following:
Birds were seen at the following locations: Ballycotton, Ballymacoda, Cape Clear Island (majority of the records), Dursey, Fastnet Rock, Firkeel, Galley Head, Lissagriffin, Minane Bridge, Old Head of Kinsale.

Recorded in all months except June and July. Most records were of single birds seen for one day only. The highest counts by far were of 14 at Ballymacoda and 11 at Ballycotton that remained from December 1986 to March 1987.

Global Distribution: A widespread summer visitor to Greenland, Fennoscandia
and arctic Russia, with Europe accounting for less than a quarter of its global breeding
range. Also found in Asia, North America and Greenland. (Birdlife International)

Scarlet Tanager Tanagair Scarlóideach Piranga olivacea

Rare vagrant.

Five county records up to the end of 2020.

2018 Cape Clear, a 1st year male  from the 16th to the 21st October.
2017 Mizen Head, a 1st year bird from the 3rd to the 6th October.
2008 Garinish, west Beara, first-winter male, 7th to 11th October.
1985 Firkeel, adult male, 18th October.
1985 Firkeel, first-winter female, 12th to 14th October.

Global Distribution: Breeds in north-eastern North America and winters in South America.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak Gobach Mór Broinnrósach Pheucticus ludovicianus

Rare vagrant.

Seven county records up to the end of 2020.

2016 Garinish, a female from the 29th September to the 10th October
1987 Cape Clear Island, juvenile female, trapped, 7th to 24th October.
1983 Firkeel, first-winter male, 19th to 20th October.
1983 Bull Rock, first-winter male, 10th October.
1983 Cape Clear Island, first-winter male, 9th to 15th October.
1979 Cape Clear Island, first-winter female, 11th to 12th October.
1962 Cape Clear Island, first-winter male, 7th to 8th October. This is the first Irish Record.

Global Distribution: Breeds in northern and north-eastern North America and winters in South America.

Indigo Bunting Gealóg Phlúiríneach Passerina cyanea

Rare vagrant.

One county record up to the end of 2020.
1985 Cape Clear, one from the 9th to the 19th October. The bird was trapped and ringed, This is the first Irish Record.

Global Distribution: Breeds in North American and winters in Central and South America.

White-crowned Sparrow Gealbhan Choróin Bán Zonotrichia leucophrys

Rare vagrant.

One county record up to the end of 2020.

2003 Dursey Sound, 20th to 27th May. This is the first Irish record.

Global Distribution: Breeds in north and west North America and winters in southern North America.

White-throated Sparrow Gealbhan Píbgheal Zonotrichia albicollis

Rare vagrant.

Two county records up to the end of 2020. These are the only Irish records.

2008 Cape Clear Island, first-year, 12th to 18th October.
1967 Cape Clear Island, immature male, 3rd April. This is the first Irish Record.

Global Distribution: Breeds in north and east North America and winters in southern North America.

Dark-eyed Junco Luachairín Shúildubh Junco hyemalis

Rare vagrant.

One county record up to the end of 2020.

2015 Dursey Island, an adult male on the 9th June.

Global Distribution: North America.

Yellowhammer Buíóg Emberiza citrinella

Locally common resident breeding species, most numerous in the east of the county. Appears to be declining in recent years.

Global Distribution: Europe and western Asia.

 

Summer Distribution

 

Winter Distribution

Cirl Bunting Cirlghealóg Emberiza cirlus

Rare vagrant.

One county record up to the end of 2020.

2006 Mizen Head, a female on the 8th and 9th May 2006. First Irish record.

Distribution: A widespread resident across much of southern Europe, which constitutes >95% of its global range.

Ortolan Bunting Gealóg Gharraí Emberiza hortulana

Occasional though almost annual passage migrant, mostly in autumn.

78 records involving 96 birds recorded in the county up to the end of 2020, since the first was recorded on Cape Clear on the 30th August 1959.

Birds have been seen at the following locations: Cape Clear Island (majority of the records), Dursey Island, Galley Head, Mizen Head, Old Head of Kinsale, Three Castles Head.

Most were seen singly though high counts include four on two occasions and six on one occasion.

Apart from four records in May all birds were seen between August and October with most seen in September.

Global Distribution: A widespread summer visitor to much of Europe, which constitutes >50% of its global breeding range.  Does not breed in Ireland or UK. Also found in Africa and west Asia.

Rustic Bunting Gealóg Thuathúil Emberiza rustica

Rare vagrant.

18 county records up to the end of 2020. One on Cape Clear on the 9th October 1959 is the first county and Irish record.

2017 Cape Clear, one form the 15th to the 23rd October.
2005 Sherkin Island, one on the 18th October.
2001 Cape Clear Island, a first-winter female from the 19th to the 25 October.
2002 Cape Clear Island, one on the 22nd October.
2000 Dursey Island, one on the 14th October.
2000 Cape Clear Island, one from the 13th to the 17th October.
1999 Cape Clear Island, a female on the 6th June.
1998 Dursey Island, a male on the 2nd June.
1997 Dursey Island, one on the 19th October.
1993 Old Head of Kinsale, an adult male on the 19th October.
1990 Toe Head, on from the 28th to the 30th October.
1990 Cape Clear Island, one from the 22nd to the 25th October.
1989 Cape Clear Island, one on the 25th October.
1989 Dursey Island, a female/immature from the 7th to the 10th October.
1989 Cape Clear Island, a male on the 26th April.
1989 Old Head of Kinsale, one on the 26th March.
1988 Cape Clear Island, one on the 14th October.
1959 Cape Clear Island, one on the 9th October.

Global Distribution: This bunting breeds across northern latitudes of the Palaearctic from Norway in the west to Kamchatka (Russia) in the east. It is a full migrant, wintering in central and eastern Asia (primarily from eastern China to Japan). (Source: BirdLife International)

Little Bunting Gealóg Bheag Emberiza pusilla

Rare vagrant. All seen in October except for one in April and November.

At least 41 records up to the end of 2020.

Most records were from Cape Clear with others from places including Mizen Head, Old Head of Kinsale, Dursey Island, Garinish, West Beara and Galley Head.

Global Distribution: A widespread summer visitor to northern Fennoscandia. Also found in Asia.

Yellow-breasted Bunting Gealóg Bhroinnbhuí Emberiza aureola

Rare vagrant.

Three county records up to the end of 2020.

2010 Dursey Island, female/1st Winter, 9th October.
1985 Cape Clear Island, female or first-winter, 18th September.
1983 Cape Clear Island, female or first-winter, 11th to 20th September.

Global Distribution: Breeds across the northern Palaearctic from Finland, Belarus and Ukraine in the west, through Kazakhstan, China and Mongolia, to far eastern Russia, Korea and northern Japan. In the autumn, birds stop-over in large numbers to moult in the Yangtze Valley, China before continuing on to their winter quarters. It winters throughout a relatively small area in southern and south-east Asia which includes eastern Nepal, north-east India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, southern China, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand1. It was formerly one of the most abundant breeding passerines across vast swathes of Siberia, but, although it remains common in some regions17,19, and although there have been no systematic surveys, a severe decline has been noted in most breeding areas and it has completely disappeared from parts of its former breeding range over the last twenty years. (Birdlife International)

Reed Bunting Gealóg Ghiolcaí Emberiza schoeniclus

Common resident breeding species.

Global Distribution: Europe, north Africa and Asia.

 

Summer Distribution

 

Winter Distribution

 

Black-headed Bunting Gealóg Cheanndubh Emberiza melanocephala

Rare vagrant.

Two county records up to the end of 2020.

2009 Galley Head (Marsh Lane), a first-winter bird from the 11th to the 15th September.
2005 A male at Skibbereen on the 30th May. This is the 1st county record.

Global Distribution: A widespread summer visitor to south-east Europe, which
constitutes >50% of its global breeding range. Also found in the Middle East, south-west Asia and India.

Corn Bunting Gealóg Bhuachair Emberiza calandra

This species was a former breeding bird in the county, but now, as with elsewhere in Ireland, it has been reduced to the status of an occasional vagrant.

Only two records in recent decades.

2005 Cape Clear Island, one on the 1st April.
2003 Cape Clear Island, one from the 25th to the 28th April.

 

 

Summer Distribution 1968-72

 

Summer Distribution 2008-2011

 

 

Species seen but considered escaped from captivity or deliberately introduced into the wild.

Red-headed Bunting Emberiza bruniceps