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Records 2019–2024 · GBIF

Birds in Northern Ireland

Our list for Northern Ireland has 181 bird species recorded regularly there: 86 residents, 31 summer visitors, 23 winter visitors, 34 passage migrants and 7 scarce visitors

The list comes from 192,000 birdwatchers' records from 2019–2024, shared through the eBird Observation Dataset on GBIF. A bird is listed when it was recorded in at least 3 of the 6 years and has a Birdfact species guide, so more species occur here than are listed; the months show when it is recorded most years.

Species on our list
181
In October
130
Common
95
Busiest month
May
Go to a county

What's special about Northern Ireland

vs United Kingdom

The birds recorded far more often here than across United Kingdom, as a share of all bird records. These are the ones Northern Ireland is worth visiting for.

  1. Hooded CrowHooded Crow26×Resident · 2.9% of records here, 0.11% across United Kingdom
  2. Black GuillemotBlack Guillemot14×Resident · 0.72% of records here, 0.05% across United Kingdom
  3. TwiteTwite8.2×Summer visitor · 0.22% of records here, 0.03% across United Kingdom
  4. EiderEider5.6×Resident · 0.87% of records here, 0.16% across United Kingdom
  5. Purple SandpiperPurple Sandpiper5.6×Winter visitor · 0.18% of records here, 0.03% across United Kingdom
  6. Manx ShearwaterManx Shearwater4.8×Summer visitor · 0.25% of records here, 0.05% across United Kingdom
  7. European Storm-petrelEuropean Storm-petrel4.8×Passage migrant · 0.04% of records here, 0.01% across United Kingdom
  8. Atlantic PuffinAtlantic Puffin3.7×Summer visitor · 0.18% of records here, 0.05% across United Kingdom

This month: October

GBIF · Oct

Most likely

  1. European RobinEuropean Robin3.49%
  2. Hooded CrowHooded Crow3.07%
  3. Common StarlingCommon Starling2.75%
  4. MagpieMagpie2.65%
  5. JackdawJackdaw2.56%
  6. House SparrowHouse Sparrow2.53%

Arriving now

  1. RedwingRedwingWinter visitorSep 0.01% → Oct 0.93%
  2. FieldfareFieldfareWinter visitorSep 0.00% → Oct 0.44%
  3. Snow BuntingSnow BuntingWinter visitorSep 0.00% → Oct 0.25%
  4. BramblingBramblingPassage migrantSep 0.00% → Oct 0.25%
  5. Yellow-browed WarblerYellow-browed WarblerPassage migrantSep 0.03% → Oct 0.24%
  6. Great White EgretGreat White EgretResidentSep 0.01% → Oct 0.15%

Share of all bird records in Northern Ireland in October, 2019–2024. “Arriving now” are the birds whose share rises most from last month. Each month links to that month’s page.

Near you this week

The birds most likely around your town or postcode right now, from the same records, for a square about 9 km across.

The bird calendar for Northern Ireland

Month by month

When each bird is around, through the year. The darker the square, the closer that month is to the bird’s busiest. Filter by summer or winter visitors to see the seasons turn over.

The year in Northern Ireland

Records by month
Bird records in Northern Ireland by month, 2019–2024
January11,591
February10,366
March12,193
April17,575
May24,111
June20,304
July19,586
August19,229
September15,782
October13,110
November12,709
December15,140

May has the most records (24,000). Records follow birdwatchers as well as birds: a busy month means more people out looking, as well as more birds passing through.

By family

12 of 29
All 29 families in Northern Ireland

How common

Places in Northern Ireland

All 181 birds, A to Z

Show all 181 birds

Questions

4

What birds is Northern Ireland known for?

Compared with the rest of United Kingdom, Northern Ireland stands out for Hooded Crow, Black Guillemot, Twite and Eider. Each is recorded at least 5.5 times as often here as across United Kingdom, as a share of all bird records (2019–2024).

How many birds are on Birdfact's list for Northern Ireland?

181 species, each recorded regularly in Northern Ireland (in at least 3 of the 6 years 2019–2024): 86 residents, 31 summer visitors, 23 winter visitors, 34 passage migrants and 7 scarce visitors. The list includes only birds with a Birdfact species guide, so more species occur in Northern Ireland, and rarer vagrants are not listed.

What birds can I see in Northern Ireland in October?

130 species on our list for Northern Ireland are recorded regularly in October. Of these, the most often recorded are European Robin, Hooded Crow, Common Starling, Magpie and Jackdaw.

What are the most common birds in Northern Ireland?

Of the birds on our list, the ones birdwatchers record most often in Northern Ireland are European Robin, Blackbird, European Herring Gull, Common Starling and Woodpigeon.

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

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