Birds to See in Donegal in December
73 species listed for December · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024
73 bird species on our list for Donegal are recorded regularly in December. Of these, the most often recorded are Hooded Crow, European Robin, Curlew, Blackbird and Jackdaw. New this month: Black Guillemot, Red-billed Chough, Bullfinch and Common Redpoll and 4 more.
New in December8
Residents
(39)Recorded all year
Hooded Crow
Corvus cornixLC
Recorded all year
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
Recorded all year
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
Recorded all year
Jackdaw
Coloeus monedulaLC
Recorded all year
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
Recorded all year
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
Recorded all year
Pied Wagtail
Motacilla albaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
Recorded all year
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
Recorded all year
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
Recorded all year
Magpie
Pica picaLC
Recorded all year
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Recorded all year
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
Recorded all year
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
Recorded all year
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
Recorded all year
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
Regularly May–Mar
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundusLC
Recorded all year
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
Recorded all year
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
Recorded all year
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
Regularly Nov–Sep
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
Recorded all year
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
Recorded all year
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
Recorded all year
European Shag
Gulosus aristotelisLC
Recorded all year
Black Guillemot
Cepphus grylleLC
Regularly Dec–Sep
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
Regularly Apr–Feb
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
Recorded all year
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
Regularly Apr–Feb
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
Regularly Apr–Feb
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
Regularly Jun–Feb
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
Regularly Apr–Feb
Coot
Fulica atraLC
Regularly Jun–Feb
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
Regularly May–Feb
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
Regularly Apr–Feb
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
Regularly Jul–Feb
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
Regularly Apr–Dec
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
Regularly Jul–Jan
Summer visitors
(11)Arrives to breed; scarce or absent in winter
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Stonechat
Saxicola rubicolaLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosusLC
Regularly Apr–Jan
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Regularly May–Dec
Northern Gannet
Morus bassanusLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Red-billed Chough
Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocoraxLC
Regularly Apr–Dec
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
Regularly May–Feb
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Winter visitors
(13)Present outside the breeding season
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
Recorded all year
Common Loon
Gavia immerLC
Regularly Jul–May
Whooper Swan
Cygnus cygnusLC
Regularly May–Mar
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
Regularly Sep–Mar
Little Egret
Egretta garzettaLC
Regularly Jun–Mar
Brent Goose
Branta berniclaLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Eurasian Teal
Anas creccaLC
Regularly Jul–Apr
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serratorLC
Regularly Jun–Apr
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
Regularly Jul–Feb
Common Scoter
Melanitta nigraLC
Regularly Nov–Apr
Goldeneye
Bucephala clangulaLC
Regularly Nov–Mar
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsisLC
Regularly Nov–May
Red-throated Loon
Gavia stellataLC
Regularly Jul–Apr
Passage migrants
(10)Seen mainly in spring and autumn migration
Redwing
Turdus iliacusNT
Regularly Oct–Jan
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatusLC
Regularly Jun–Mar
Greenshank
Tringa nebulariaLC
Regularly Jul–Mar
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Fieldfare
Turdus pilarisLC
Regularly Nov–Dec
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
Regularly Aug–Dec
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
Regularly Jul–Apr
Glaucous Gull
Larus hyperboreusLC
Regularly Dec
Pink-footed Goose
Anser brachyrhynchusLC
Regularly Nov–Jan
Long-tailed Duck
Clangula hyemalisVU
Regularly Nov–Mar
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