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Records 2019–2024 · GBIF

Birds in Derry

Our list for Derry has 119 bird species recorded regularly there: 42 residents, 37 summer visitors, 29 passage migrants and 11 scarce visitors

The list comes from 16,000 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
119
In October
52
Common
95
Busiest month
Jul

What's special about Derry

vs Northern Ireland

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

  1. SanderlingSanderling4.2×Resident · 0.43% of records here, 0.10% across Northern Ireland
  2. Grasshopper WarblerGrasshopper Warbler4.1×Passage migrant · 0.38% of records here, 0.09% across Northern Ireland
  3. Sandwich TernSandwich Tern3.2×Passage migrant · 1.0% of records here, 0.32% across Northern Ireland
  4. Golden PloverGolden Plover3.1×Passage migrant · 0.41% of records here, 0.13% across Northern Ireland
  5. Eurasian JayEurasian Jay3.0×Resident · 0.86% of records here, 0.29% across Northern Ireland
  6. Northern GannetNorthern Gannet2.1×Summer visitor · 1.5% of records here, 0.71% across Northern Ireland
  7. Eurasian SiskinEurasian Siskin2.1×Resident · 0.87% of records here, 0.42% across Northern Ireland
  8. Great Black-backed GullGreat Black-backed Gull2.1×Resident · 2.3% of records here, 1.1% across Northern Ireland

This month: October

GBIF · Oct

Most likely

  1. European Herring GullEuropean Herring Gull4.99%
  2. Common StarlingCommon Starling3.89%
  3. RookRook3.69%
  4. Eurasian OystercatcherEurasian Oystercatcher3.59%
  5. Black-headed GullBlack-headed Gull3.29%
  6. RedshankRedshank3.09%

Arriving now

  1. Whooper SwanWhooper SwanPassage migrantSep 0.13% → Oct 1.79%
  2. Common RavenCommon RavenResidentSep 0.19% → Oct 1.00%
  3. Red-throated LoonRed-throated LoonResidentSep 0.32% → Oct 0.80%
  4. Eurasian SkylarkEurasian SkylarkSummer visitorSep 0.00% → Oct 0.50%
  5. Purple SandpiperPurple SandpiperPassage migrantSep 0.06% → Oct 0.40%
  6. TwiteTwitePassage migrantSep 0.00% → Oct 0.40%

Share of all bird records in Derry 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 Derry

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 Derry

Records by month
Bird records in Derry by month, 2019–2024
January403
February291
March640
April1,939
May1,433
June1,205
July3,332
August2,370
September1,587
October1,003
November767
December908

July has the most records (3,332). 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 26
All 26 families in Derry

How common

More of Northern Ireland

All of Northern Ireland

All 119 birds, A to Z

Show all 119 birds

Questions

4

What birds is Derry known for?

Compared with the rest of Northern Ireland, Derry stands out for Sanderling, Grasshopper Warbler, Sandwich Tern and Golden Plover. Each is recorded at least 3 times as often here as across Northern Ireland, as a share of all bird records (2019–2024).

How many birds are on Birdfact's list for Derry?

119 species, each recorded regularly in Derry (in at least 3 of the 6 years 2019–2024): 42 residents, 37 summer visitors, 29 passage migrants and 11 scarce visitors. The list includes only birds with a Birdfact species guide, so more species occur in Derry, and rarer vagrants are not listed.

What birds can I see in Derry in October?

52 species on our list for Derry are recorded regularly in October. Of these, the most often recorded are European Herring Gull, Common Starling, Rook, Eurasian Oystercatcher and Black-headed Gull.

What are the most common birds in Derry?

Of the birds on our list, the ones birdwatchers record most often in Derry are European Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, European Robin, Common Starling and Great Cormorant.

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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