Vultures, Eagles, Kites, Harrier’s and Buzzards

 

Honey Buzzard Clamhán Riabhach Pernis apivorus

Rare passage migrant.

Two county records up to the end of 2020.

2000 Cape Clear, a juvenile on the 25th and 26th September.
1972 Cape Clear, One on the 23rd August.

Global Distribution: A widespread summer visitor to Europe, which constitutes >75% of its global breeding range. Breeds in small numbers in the UK. Also found in Asia. (Birdlife International)

 

Black Kite Cúr Dubh Milvus migrans

Rare passage migrant.

Five county records up to the end of 2020.

2017 Midleton, a 1st year bird just north of the town, 23rd April.
2012 Galley Head, one on the 1st May.
2011 Cobh, 7th April.
1991 Midleton, one on the 20th April.
1980 Garryvoe/Ballycotton area, one from the 20th April to the 30th May.

Global Distribution: The black kite is found through most of Africa, Europe and Asia (except for the Sahara, central China and the extreme north) and in parts of Indonesia, New Guinea and Australia. (Birdlife International)

 

Red Kite Cúr Rua Milvus milvus

Rare migrant.

Possibly bred in the 18th century.
11 records involving 12 birds up to 2001 since the first county record at Ballycotton on the 9th November 1968.

2001 – 2022 At least 25 recorded in the county.
2001 Ladysbridge, one on the 23rd September.
1998 Ballycotton, a male and female from the 25th January to the end of February. (ex Scottish reintroduction scheme)
1997 Cape Clear Island, one on the 14th October. (ex Scottish reintroduction scheme)
1993 Saleen, one on 12th December.
1992 Cape Clear Island, one on the 22nd September.
1991 Lisgoold, a juvenile form the 22nd to the 23rd November. (ex Scottish reintroduction scheme)
1991 Garretstown, one on the 29th September.
1991 Cape Clear Island, one on the 19th April.
1975 Cape Clear Island, an adult from the 23rd to the 27th October.
1971 Cape Clear Island, a female on the 6th November.
1968 Ballycotton, one on the 9th November.

Global Distribution: Endemic to the Western Palearctic, with the European population of 19,000-23,000 pairs encompassing 95% of its global breeding range1,17. It breeds from Spain and Portugal east through central Europe to Ukraine, north to southern Sweden, Latvia and the UK (890 pairs20), and south to southern Italy. Populations winter within the western breeding range, and formerly in isolated patches south and east to eastern Turkey. Its status as a breeding and wintering species in North Africa is now uncertain. Also found in Asia. A reintroduction programme is underway in Ireland, based in Wicklow and those birds have coloured wing tags. (Birdlife International)

 

White-tailed Eagle Iolar Mara Haliaeetus albicilla

Bred in the 18th and early-mid 19th Century (Ussher & Warren:129). All recent records relate to current Irish reintroduction programme.

2018 Two failed nesting attempts.

2017 One failed nesting attempt.

2016  A pair successful bred in the county.

Global Distribution: The species has its strongholds in Norway and Russia (which together hold >55% of the European population4, and important populations in south-west Greenland (to Denmark), Sweden, Poland and Germany. Smaller numbers breed in Iceland, United Kingdom, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, the former Yugoslav states, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Moldova, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Mongolia, mainland China, and Japan. It formerly bred in Algeria and may still do so in Iraq. A reintroduction programme is underway in Ireland, based in Kerry and those birds have coloured wing tags. (Birdlife International)

 

Eurasian Griffon Vulture Bultúr Gríofa Eoráiseach  Gyps fulvus

Rare vagrant.

One county record up to the end of 2020.

1843 Near Cork Harbour, immature, caught, spring, now at Trinity College, Dublin. Yarrell, 1845. This is the first Irish Record.

Global Distribution: A widespread but patchily distributed resident in southern Europe, which accounts for less than half of its global range.
Also found in Africa and Asia. (Birdlife International)

 

Marsh Harrier Cromán  Móna Circus aeruginosus

Former resident, recorded breeding in the county in the 19th century (Ussher & Warren:xxvi), now a very scarce annual passage migrant, mostly in spring and summer.
Increasingly regular in summer, raising hopes that the species may breed in the future.

40 county records involving 38 birds up to the end of 1993 when the species was removed from the IRBC rarities list. Over 80 since then up to the end of 2020.

Analysis of these records show the following:
Birds were seen at the following locations: Ballycotton, Ballymacoda, Cape Clear Island. Cuskinny (Cobh), Garretstown, Inchydoney, Kilcolman NNR, Lough Beg, Sherkin Island, Tragumna, Unionhall, Youghal.
All records involved single birds and where age was give almost all were immature/female.
Birds were seen between April and November with May being the best month.

Global Distribution: A widespread breeder across much of Europe, which accounts for less than half of its global breeding range. Also Africa and Asia. (Birdlife International)

 

Hen Harrier Cromán gCearc Circus cyaneus

Very scarce resident breeding species in the north of the county.

Regular in autumn and winter on the coast. Some evidence of passage migration in the autumn, though this may refer to local movements.

Global Distribution: Europe and Asia.

 

Summer Distribution

 

Winter Distribution

Northern Harrier Cromán Tuaisceartach Circus hudsonianus

Rare vagrant.

One county record.

2020  Nohoval, one juvenile, 2nd to the 12th October, is the first county and ninth Irish record.

Global Distribution: It breeds throughout the northern parts of the northern hemisphere in Canada and the northernmost USA.
The northern harrier migrates to more southerly areas in winter, with breeding birds in more northern areas moving to the southernmost USA, Mexico, and Central America. In milder regions in the southern US, they may be present all year, but the higher ground is largely deserted in winter.

 

Pallid Harrier Cromán Mhílítheach Circus macrourus

Rare vagrant.
Four county records up to the end of 2020.

2017 Barry’s Head, a 1st year bird, 7th to 30th October.
2011 Power Head, juvenile female, 7th to 29th November.
2011 Power Head/Ballycotton, juvenile from 29th October to 16th November.
2011 Ballyvergan Marsh, Youghal, an immature bird at 22nd/23rd April. The first Irish record.

Global Distribution: Breeds primarily in the steppes of Asiatic Russia, Kazakhstan and north-west China. Small populations breed in Azerbaijan, Romania, Turkey and Ukraine. A minority winter in south-east and central Europe, north Africa and the Middle East but most migrate to the Afrotropics. (Birdlife International)

 

Montagu’s Harrier Cromán Liath Circus pygargus

Rare spring migrant. Bred once in 1957.

11 county records up to the end of 2020.

2019 Dunworley and Ballyvergan, a 2nd calendar male, 30th April/17th May.
2017 Cape Clear, an adult male, 29th April.
2012 Mitchelstown, an adult male, 14th May.
2011 Old Head of Kinsale, 2nd calendar year bird, 7th May.
2006 Dursey Island, one 2nd Calendar year male on the 13th May.
2000 Dursey Island, a male on the 10th May.
1984 Ballycotton, a male on the 28th April.
1981 Cape Clear Island, a ringtail on the 24th October.
1973 Cape Clear Island, an immature on the 19th August.
1969 Cape Clear Island, an immature on the 1st November.
1957 Montagu’s Harrier, two successful bred in the county (Hutchinson:87).

Global Distribution: a widespread but patchy breeding distribution in Europe, which constitutes >50% of its global breeding range. Also Africa and Asia. (Birdlife International)

 

Goshawk Spioróg Mhór Accipter gentilis

Former resident; Occasional records may refer to dispersive movements within the country, or occasional vagrancy.
Status in the north Cork area uncertain, but there are some indications that the species may be breeding in very small numbers.

21 county records involving 22 birds up to the end of 2020.

2019 Undisclosed location, April 2019.
2012 The Gearagh, adult female, 15th November.
2009 Carrigaline, a pair on the 5th May.
2001 The Gearagh, a juvenile from the 6th to the 8th September.
1996 Dursey Island, a second-year female on the 3rd November.
1999 Galley Head, a female on the 27th August.
1993 Kilcolman NNR, an adult female from the 4th to the 11th February.
1992 Cape Clear Island, a male on the 19th September.
1991 near Mallow, an adult female on the 25th May.
1990 Cobh, an immature on the 24th October.
1990 Dursey Island, an adult male on the 26th September.
1988 Cape Clear Island, one on the 12th October.
1983 Cape Clear Island, one on the 31st October.
1979 Ballycotton, one on the 15th September.
1978 Inchydoney, one on the 29 th September.
1978 Crookhaven, one on the 1st October.
1978 Dungourney, one on the 29th January.
1976 Rostellan, an immature from the 7th to the 14th November.
1973 Brown Island (Cork Harbour), one on the 26th September.
1955 Rosscarbery, one on the 29th April.

In 1974 a Goshawk of the American race Accipiter g. atricapillus was seen on Cape Clear Island on the 5th October

Global Distribution: a widespread resident across most of Europe, which accounts for less than half of its global range. Also found in Africa, Asia and North America. (Birdlife International)

 

(Eurasian) Sparrowhawk Spioróg (Eoráiseach) Accipiter nisus

Resident breeding species. Seemingly common throughout the county in suitable habitat.

Global Distribution: Europe, north-eastern Africa and Asia.

 

Summer Distribution

 

Winter Distribution

 

Common Buzzard Clamhán Coitianta Buteo buteo

Previously rare, this species is continuing its recolonisation of the county since it became extinct as a breeding species due to human persecution
by the end of the 19th century and is now a common sight in the skies over the county.

Only 13 county records up to 1993 when the species was removed from the IRBC rarities list. Since then sightings have gradually increased and breeding was first proven in 2004. There was a minimum of 78 pairs breeding in the county in 2011-2012 (Nagle et al, Irish Birds Vol. 10 No.1, 2014)

A study of the diet of Common Buzzards in the county (2011-2012) showed that Brown Rat, Jackdaw, Magpie, Rabbit and Rook made up 84% of their diet.

Global Distribution: Europe, Macaronesian Islands and Asia.

 

Summer Distribution 1981-84

 

Summer Distribution 2008-11

 

Winter Distribution

 

Rough-legged Buzzard Clamhán Lópach Buteo lagopus lagopus

Rare Vagrant.
Three county records up to the end of 2020.

1980 Cape Clear Island, one on the 16th October.
1963 Cape Clear Island, one on the 13th October.
1906 Mitchelstown, one obtained (shot) on the 18th November.(Kennedy, Ruttledge & Scroope:103)

Global Distribution: a widespread breeder in Fennoscandia and northern Russia, with Europe accounting for less than a quarter of its global breeding range. Also North America. (Birdlife International)

 

Great Spotted Eagle Iolar Breac Mór Aquila clanga

Rare vagrant.

One county record up to the end of 2020.

1845 Near Youghal, two of the nominate race, both shot in January after being present for several weeks, one immature now at National Museum, Dublin. R. Dairs, jun., Annals & Magazine of Natural History 16: 351. This was the first Irish record.

Global Distribution: occupies a fragmented range, breeding in Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Belarus, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, mainland China and Mongolia. Passage or wintering birds occur in small numbers over a vast area, including central and eastern Europe, north and east Africa, the Middle East, the Arabian peninsula, the Indian subcontinent and south and South-East Asia. Wintering birds have also been reported in Hong Kong (China). (Birdlife international)

 

Golden Eagle Iolar (órga) Aquila Chrysaetos chrysaetos

Bred in the county up to the end of the 19th century. (Ussher & Warren:129).

1967 Cape Clear, possibly this species, 6th September 1967.
Recent reports of Golden Eagle from north Cork probably relate to a juvenile.

A Irish Golden Eagle reintroduction programme started in Ireland in the 1990s in Donegal and birds from this programme have been seen across the country.

Global Distribution: a widespread but discontinuous distribution across much of Europe, which accounts for less than a quarter of its global breeding range. A reintroduction programme is underway in Ireland, based in Donegal and those birds have coloured wing tags. Also Africa, Asia and North America. (Birdlife International)

 

Osprey Coirneach Pandion haliaetus

Scarce passage migrant, mostly in spring and autumn.
40 county records involving 38 individuals up to the end of 1999 when the species was removed from the IRBC rarities list.

Over 50 reported from 2000 and up to the end of 2020.
The first county records was of one (shot) on the 14th October 1848 at Lakelands. (Ussher & Warren:150)

Analysis of the records up to 1999 show the following:
Birds have been seen at the following locations: Araglen River (near Fermoy), Ballycotton, Ballymacoda, Bandon Park, Bantry
Blackwater (above Mallow), Bride river, Cape Clear Island, Carrigaline, Castlemartyr, Courtmacsharry Bay/Kilbrittain Creek, Courtmacsharry/Clonakilty, Dursey Island, Fota, Illen Estuary, Inchigeelagh, Inchydoney, Inchydoney/Kilkerran Lake, Kinsale Marsh, Knockadoon Head, Lakeland’s, Lissagriffin, Lough Beg, Lough Hyne, Macroom, Marathon Gas Platform (off Cork Harbour), Midleton, Mourne Abbey, Old Dromore, Rosscarbery, Rostellan, Seven Heads, Sheep’s Head, The Gearagh Timoleague.

All records were of single birds. and birds have been seen all months except January, February, July and December.

Global Distribution: a widespread summer visitor to much of northern Europe (occurring only patchily farther south), which accounts for less than a quarter of its global breeding range. Breeds in the UK. Also Africa, Asia, Australia and North America. (Birdlife International)

 

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

Goshawk Accipter gentilis (see species account above for records of wild birds).

Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis