Rare Birds in Galway
Our list for Galway has 19 rare birds recorded regularly there: 3 residents, 13 passage migrants and 3 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Galway in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 19, most common first
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusScarceRare18–19 cmRegularly Jun
GarganeySpatula querquedulaPassage migrantRare37–41 cmRegularly Sep
Common RosefinchCarpodacus erythrinusPassage migrantRare13–15 cmRegularly Oct
Arctic LoonGavia arcticaPassage migrantRare58–77 cmRegularly Jan
EiderSomateria mollissimaPassage migrantRare50–71 cmRegularly Feb
Pomarine JaegerStercorarius pomarinusPassage migrantRare46–51 cmRegularly Oct
Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalisPassage migrantRare15–18 cmRegularly Oct
Stock DoveColumba oenasResidentRare32–34 cmRegularly Sep
Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollisPassage migrantRare18–20 cmRegularly Sep
Lesser WhitethroatCurruca currucaPassage migrantRare11–13 cmRegularly Oct
WhinchatSaxicola rubetraPassage migrantRare12–14 cmRegularly May
Red GrouseLagopus scoticaResidentRare37–42 cmRegularly Apr–May
Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimusScarceRare17–19 cm
Long-eared OwlAsio otusResidentRare35–40 cmRegularly Jul–Oct
European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleucaPassage migrantRare12–14 cmRegularly Sep–Oct
European Turtle-doveStreptopelia turturPassage migrantRare26–28 cmRegularly Sep
OspreyPandion haliaetusPassage migrantRare54–58 cmRegularly May
Grey PhalaropePhalaropus fulicariusScarceRare20–22 cm
Leach's Storm-petrelHydrobates leucorhousPassage migrantRare18–21 cmRegularly Oct
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Lesser Whitethroat 11–13 cm
- European Pied Flycatcher 12–14 cm
- Whinchat 12–14 cm
- Common Rosefinch 13–15 cm
- Snow Bunting 15–18 cm
- Jack Snipe 17–19 cm
- Red-necked Phalarope 18–19 cm
- Buff-breasted Sandpiper 18–20 cm
- Leach's Storm-petrel 18–21 cm
- Grey Phalarope 20–22 cm
- European Turtle-dove 26–28 cm
- Stock Dove 32–34 cm
- Long-eared Owl 35–40 cm
- Garganey 37–41 cm
- Red Grouse 37–42 cm
- Pomarine Jaeger 46–51 cm
- Osprey 54–58 cm
- Eider 50–71 cm
- Arctic Loon 58–77 cm
Body length, bill to tail. Rare birds in grey.
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made