Birds to See in Donegal in October
68 bird species on our list for Donegal are recorded regularly in October
Of these, the most often recorded are European Robin, European Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Hooded Crow and Great Black-backed Gull. New this month: Fulmar, Redwing, Eurasian Tree Sparrow and Lesser Whitethroat.
On the move in October
GBIF · OctArriving
At their peak
From Donegal’s bird records, 2019–2024: arriving birds are regular this month but not last; leaving birds are regular this month but not next.
Other months
All 68 birds in October
68 birds
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 3.90% in Oct
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 3.84% in Oct
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentCommon34–39 cmRecorded all year · 3.34% in Oct
Hooded CrowCorvus cornixResidentCommon44–51 cmRecorded all year · 3.22% in Oct
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year · 2.88% in Oct
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaResidentCommon17–19 cmRecorded all year · 2.83% in Oct
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 2.60% in Oct
CurlewNumenius arquataWinter visitorCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 2.43% in Oct
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 2.43% in Oct
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.43% in Oct
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 2.32% in Oct
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 2.26% in Oct
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 2.20% in Oct
RookCorvus frugilegusResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 2.15% in Oct
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 1.98% in Oct
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRecorded all year · 1.98% in Oct
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisSummer visitorCommon21–23 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 1.92% in Oct
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 1.87% in Oct
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisSummer visitorCommon14–15 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 1.75% in Oct
Northern GannetMorus bassanusSummer visitorCommon87–100 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 1.70% in Oct
GoldcrestRegulus regulusPassage migrantCommon9–10 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.53% in Oct
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 1.47% in Oct
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 1.41% in Oct
Rock PipitAnthus petrosusSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 1.41% in Oct
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 1.36% in Oct
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusWinter visitorCommon140–165 cmRegularly May–Mar · 1.36% in Oct
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisSummer visitorCommon12–13 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 1.24% in Oct
Common RavenCorvus coraxSummer visitorCommon54–67 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 1.19% in Oct
European ShagGulosus aristotelisResidentCommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 1.19% in Oct
StonechatSaxicola rubicolaSummer visitorCommon12–13 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 1.19% in Oct
Great TitParus majorResidentCommonRecorded all year · 1.02% in Oct
RedshankTringa totanusResidentCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year · 1.02% in Oct
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusResidentCommon40–42 cmRecorded all year · 1.02% in Oct
DunnockPrunella modularisResidentCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.96% in Oct
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaResidentCommon17–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.96% in Oct
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.90% in Oct
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoResidentCommon30–32 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.85% in Oct
RedwingTurdus iliacusPassage migrantCommon20–24 cmRegularly Oct–Jan · 0.85% in Oct
KestrelFalco tinnunculusPassage migrantCommon32–39 cmRegularly Jun–Jan · 0.79% in Oct
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresPassage migrantCommon21–24 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.79% in Oct
BuzzardButeo buteoSummer visitorCommon51–57 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.73% in Oct
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorCommon42–51 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.73% in Oct
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRegularly May–Feb · 0.68% in Oct
Brent GooseBranta berniclaWinter visitorCommon55–66 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.62% in Oct
Coal TitPeriparus aterSummer visitorCommon10–12 cmRegularly May–Feb · 0.62% in Oct
Red-billed ChoughPyrrhocorax pyrrhocoraxSummer visitorCommon39–43 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 0.62% in Oct
EiderSomateria mollissimaSummer visitorCommon50–71 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.57% in Oct
SanderlingCalidris albaPassage migrantCommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.57% in Oct
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoSummer visitorCommon25–27 cmRegularly May–Jan · 0.51% in Oct
Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinusSummer visitorCommon11–13 cmRegularly Feb–Oct · 0.51% in Oct
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaSummer visitorCommon17–20 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.51% in Oct
KittiwakeRissa tridactylaSummer visitorCommon37–41 cmRegularly Jan–Oct · 0.51% in Oct
SparrowhawkAccipiter nisusResidentCommon28–38 cmRegularly Jul–Jan · 0.51% in Oct
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentCommon28–31 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.45% in Oct
Rock DoveColumba liviaSummer visitorCommon31–34 cmRegularly May–Jan · 0.45% in Oct
DunlinCalidris alpinaSummer visitorCommon16–22 cmRegularly May–Dec · 0.40% in Oct
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.40% in Oct
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaResidentCommon40–44 cmRegularly Jul–Feb · 0.34% in Oct
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.34% in Oct
Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanusResidentCommon13–14 cmRegularly May–Nov · 0.34% in Oct
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusSummer visitorCommon52–64 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.34% in Oct
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorusResidentCommon26–29 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.28% in Oct
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaPassage migrantCommon37–41 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.23% in Oct
FulmarFulmarus glacialisSummer visitorCommon45–50 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.23% in Oct
Lesser WhitethroatCurruca currucaScarceUncommon11–13 cmRegularly Oct · 0.23% in Oct
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorCommon52–58 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 0.23% in Oct
WheatearOenanthe oenantheSummer visitorCommon15–16 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.23% in Oct
BlackcapSylvia atricapillaSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.17% in Oct
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