Birds to See in Northern Ireland in April
135 species listed for April · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024
135 bird species on our list for Northern Ireland are recorded regularly in April. Of these, the most often recorded are European Robin, Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Common Starling and Eurasian Wren. New this month: Barn Swallow, House Martin, Willow Warbler and Common Swift and 13 more.
New in April17
Residents
(82)Recorded all year
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
Recorded all year
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
Recorded all year
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
Recorded all year
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
Recorded all year
Hooded Crow
Corvus cornixLC
Recorded all year
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
Recorded all year
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
Recorded all year
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
Recorded all year
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
Recorded all year
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
Recorded all year
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
Recorded all year
Jackdaw
Coloeus monedulaLC
Recorded all year
Magpie
Pica picaLC
Recorded all year
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundusLC
Recorded all year
Pied Wagtail
Motacilla albaLC
Recorded all year
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
Recorded all year
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
Recorded all year
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
Recorded all year
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
Recorded all year
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Recorded all year
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
Recorded all year
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
Recorded all year
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
Recorded all year
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
Recorded all year
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
Recorded all year
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
Recorded all year
Eider
Somateria mollissimaNT
Recorded all year
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
Recorded all year
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
Recorded all year
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
Recorded all year
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
Recorded all year
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
Recorded all year
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
Recorded all year
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Recorded all year
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
Recorded all year
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
Recorded all year
Coot
Fulica atraLC
Recorded all year
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
Recorded all year
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
Recorded all year
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
Recorded all year
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
Recorded all year
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
Recorded all year
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
Recorded all year
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
Recorded all year
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
Recorded all year
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
Recorded all year
Black Guillemot
Cepphus grylleLC
Recorded all year
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
Recorded all year
European Shag
Gulosus aristotelisLC
Recorded all year
Stonechat
Saxicola rubicolaLC
Recorded all year
Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosusLC
Recorded all year
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
Recorded all year
Fulmar
Fulmarus glacialisLC
Regularly Dec–Sep
Razorbill
Alca tordaLC
Recorded all year
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
Recorded all year
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Recorded all year
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
Recorded all year
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
Recorded all year
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
Recorded all year
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatusLC
Recorded all year
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
Recorded all year
Little Egret
Egretta garzettaLC
Recorded all year
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
Recorded all year
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
Recorded all year
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticusLC
Recorded all year
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
Recorded all year
Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
Recorded all year
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanusLC
Recorded all year
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
Recorded all year
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthisLC
Recorded all year
Canada Goose
Branta canadensisLC
Regularly Jan–Oct
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
Recorded all year
Red Kite
Milvus milvusLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Red-throated Loon
Gavia stellataLC
Regularly Aug–May
Spotted Redshank
Tringa erythropusLC
Regularly Dec–Apr
Stock Dove
Columba oenasLC
Regularly Mar–Aug
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Summer visitors
(28)Arrives to breed; scarce or absent in winter
Willow Warbler
Phylloscopus trochilusLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rusticaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
Recorded all year
Wheatear
Oenanthe oenantheLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopusLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Sand Martin
Riparia ripariaLC
Regularly Mar–Sep
House Martin
Delichon urbicumLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Northern Gannet
Morus bassanusLC
Recorded all year
Kittiwake
Rissa tridactylaVU
Recorded all year
Sedge Warbler
Acrocephalus schoenobaenusLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensisLC
Regularly Mar–Sep
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucosLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Twite
Linaria flavirostrisLC
Recorded all year
Great Skua
Stercorarius skuaLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Grasshopper Warbler
Locustella naeviaLC
Regularly Apr–Jul
Mediterranean Gull
Ichthyaetus melanocephalusLC
Recorded all year
Atlantic Puffin
Fratercula arcticaVU
Regularly Mar–Sep
Manx Shearwater
Puffinus puffinusLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Cuckoo
Cuculus canorusLC
Regularly Apr–Jul
Whitethroat
Curruca communisLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Common Swift
Apus apusLC
Regularly Apr–Aug
Common Tern
Sterna hirundoLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinellaLC
Regularly Jan–Aug
Dipper
Cinclus cinclusLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Red Crossbill
Loxia curvirostraLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsisLC
Regularly Feb–Nov
Winter visitors
(17)Present outside the breeding season
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
Recorded all year
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Teal
Anas creccaLC
Recorded all year
Redwing
Turdus iliacusNT
Regularly Oct–Apr
Purple Sandpiper
Calidris maritimaLC
Regularly Oct–May
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
Regularly Jul–May
Brent Goose
Branta berniclaLC
Regularly Sep–May
Fieldfare
Turdus pilarisLC
Regularly Oct–May
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serratorLC
Recorded all year
Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricariaLC
Regularly Jul–May
Common Loon
Gavia immerLC
Regularly Sep–May
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
Regularly Jul–May
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
Regularly Aug–May
Snow Bunting
Plectrophenax nivalisLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Common Scoter
Melanitta nigraLC
Regularly Jul–Apr
Whooper Swan
Cygnus cygnusLC
Regularly Aug–Apr
Goldeneye
Bucephala clangulaLC
Regularly Nov–Apr
Passage migrants
(8)Seen mainly in spring and autumn migration
Merlin
Falco columbariusLC
Regularly Sep–May
Tree Pipit
Anthus trivialisLC
Regularly Apr–May
Greenshank
Tringa nebulariaLC
Regularly Jul–Apr
Ring Ouzel
Turdus torquatusLC
Regularly Apr
Pink-footed Goose
Anser brachyrhynchusLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Brambling
Fringilla montifringillaLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Whinchat
Saxicola rubetraLC
Regularly Apr–Jun
Grey Plover
Pluvialis squatarolaLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
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