Birds

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

Richard Collins: The worst single-species die-off in the modern era
Richard Collins: The worst single-species die-off in the modern era
Millions of seabirds and other wildlife have been affected by 'the blob' — seal, sea-lion, cod, and humpback whale numbers have fallen drastically  

Fri, 27 Dec, 2024

Anja Murray: The return of woodpeckers is a cause for celebration
Anja Murray: The return of woodpeckers is a cause for celebration
True to their exceptional nature, woodpeckers' remarkable comeback gives us a glimpse into the potential for ecological recovery, a nudge to remind us that when woodlands return, their wild residents are often able to recover lost ground too

Mon, 09 Dec, 2024

Hen harrier
Anja Murray: Will the law save Irish birds, which are so threatened?
Species such as the puffin, snipe, hen harrier, kestrel and curlew are plummeting toward extinction here, and even legally protected conservation sites are lacking urgent habitat restoration actions

Wed, 04 Dec, 2024

9 things you didn't know about holly, our favourite Christmas plant
Donal Hickey: Early berries a sign of a harsh winter ahead?
This year, I saw red holly berries more than two months ago — trees working hard to feed hungry birds or is that a myth?

Thu, 31 Oct, 2024

Redwing Feeding on Fallen Apples in Orchard
Seán Ronayne: Don't let birds battle their way here to find an empty larder
Irish winters are a welcome winter 'holiday' for birds flying from Scandinavia but they need decent hedgerow meals after tough journeys across swirling seas to get here

Wed, 16 Oct, 2024

Remote island bird at risk of extinction is thrown a lifeline by parasitic wasps
Remote island bird at risk of extinction is thrown a lifeline by parasitic wasps
An invasive scale insect was devastating the population of endangered birds but a small wasp is being used to control the insects, allowing the bird numbers slowly recover 

Tue, 08 Oct, 2024

Richard Collins: Resourceful and intelligent rooks celebrated in watercolour
Richard Collins: Resourceful and intelligent rooks celebrated in watercolour
Five of the 17 pictures by Mildred Anne Butler at the National Gallery of Ireland depict rooks. She also painted cattle, steam-powered threshing machines, and doves

Thu, 26 Sep, 2024

Donal Hickey: Why have the birds abandoned my garden?
Donal Hickey: Why have the birds abandoned my garden?
Some readers have been in touch to say that the wild birds seem to have deserted the area despite full feeders and birdbaths 

Thu, 29 Aug, 2024

Richard Collins: Wild birds are more intelligent than they’ve been given credit for
Richard Collins: Wild birds are more intelligent than they’ve been given credit for
Experts have found that blue and great tits remember "where they have eaten in the past, where they found the food, and when they found it"

Thu, 18 Jul, 2024

Adult nestling barn swallows (Hirundo rustica)
Richard Collins: Is the swallow an African bird coming here to breed, or is it a European one spending its winter holidays in the warmer south?
Does the fact that more ornithologists live in the northern hemisphere make a difference to answering this question?

Thu, 13 Jun, 2024

barn swallow flies fast
Donal Hickey: Easy to see why it's called a 'swoop of swallows'
Swallows often nest in sheds, garages, and farm buildings

Thu, 21 Mar, 2024

American mink, Mustela vison
Anja Murray: Vital invasive mink control for wildlife conservation
Because they are native to north America, mink have no natural predators here and can wreak havoc on ground-nesting birds 

Wed, 13 Mar, 2024

Decoding the secret language of birds — new film Birdsong is endearing and enlightening
Decoding the secret language of birds — new film Birdsong is endearing and enlightening
Seán Ronayne who grew up in Cobh, County Cork, went on a mission to record the vocalisations of every bird species in Ireland

Wed, 06 Mar, 2024

Two,Eurasian,Magpies,,Pica,Pica,,On,Moss,Covered,Branch,In
Donal Hickey: A twitter of linnets and a mischief of magpies... how many do you know?
There's also a parliament of rooks, a charm of goldfinches, and a quarrel of sparrows

Thu, 22 Feb, 2024

Great and Blue Tit Feeding
How to help birds survive in winter and why cleaning bird feeders can prevent disease
The BirdWatch Ireland advice is to clean bird feeders thoroughly at least once a week to control the trichomonas parasite which has impacted many finches

Wed, 17 Jan, 2024

Richard Collins: Jays can resist everything... except mealworms
Richard Collins: Jays can resist everything... except mealworms
A jay will bury acorns during the autumn and retrieve them in the bleak mid-winter. The bird’s ability to find the cached food after several months, even in snow-covered ground, is legendary

Sat, 30 Dec, 2023

Kung Fu Robin - 'Bring it on' - PSP 1
One of the most aggressive birds you could meet... the truth about the friendly robin redbreast
Robins will even fight to the death if necessary — thankfully most intruders can be deterred through song

Wed, 20 Dec, 2023

Humans have wiped out twice as many bird species as previously thought – study
Humans have wiped out twice as many bird species as previously thought – study
Our study demonstrates there has been a far higher human impact on avian diversity than previously recognised

Tue, 19 Dec, 2023

Bird research
Crows can use self-control to hold out for favourite food 
Mealworms, meat, apples, and other foods were used in the scientific experiment

Wed, 06 Dec, 2023

Lesser redpoll, Carduelis cabaret
Feed the birds: Ensure your garden is the pick of the perches
From birdhouses to feed types, here's how to host your feathered friends this winter in outdoor spaces of all sizes 

Sat, 14 Oct, 2023

Proteins in modern-day feathers also found in dinosaur feathers, new research reveals
Proteins in modern-day feathers also found in dinosaur feathers, new research reveals
New method reveals similarities between dinosaurs and birds

Thu, 21 Sep, 2023

Corncrake, Crex crexx
Ireland's endangered corncrake population grows by 35%
The NPWS says a total of 218 corncrake breeding territories have been recorded in 2023, a 10% increase on the total recorded last year.

Thu, 10 Aug, 2023

Bird Stock
Areas with lower bird diversity ‘have more mental health hospital admissions’
Experts analysed data from ebird – an online database of bird observations by citizen scientists – to estimate diversity across the US state of Michigan

Mon, 07 Aug, 2023

Watch: Atlantic Puffins depart earlier from Skellig Michael
Watch: Atlantic Puffins depart earlier from Skellig Michael
Atlantic Puffins are currently departing in their droves, which seems earlier than previous years from Skellig Michael (Skelig Mhichíl) 6th-century Monastic Island, 12km off the coast of Kerry. 

Wed, 02 Aug, 2023

Three bird feeders hanging from a pole with a cloud sky background
Why have the birds disappeared from my garden?
You’ve filled your birdfeeders and topped up your birdbaths, yet many of our fine feathered creatures seem to have disappeared.

Tue, 01 Aug, 2023

Brent Geese
Richard Collins: Migration timing is crucial — so what happens if birds travel too early or too late?
Pity the poor migrants arriving hungry and exhausted after an arduous journey, only to find that the locals have eaten the lion’s share of the creepy-crawlies and commandeered the best nesting locations

Thu, 20 Jul, 2023

Travel season starts on the island of Heligoland, Helgoland, Germany - 25 Mar 2022
Why more birds use human-made materials in their nests
Many birds are urban-adapted and breed successfully in cityscapes where human-made materials are readily available. But with the accumulation of plastic on beaches, there is evidence that birds on nearly all continents are using these materials for nest-building

Tue, 18 Jul, 2023

How we can help declining Swifts — the birds who sleep in the sky
How we can help declining Swifts — the birds who sleep in the sky
Swift nesting boxes and 'nest bricks' could really help these speedy birds. Info on where and how to install these below...

Wed, 21 Jun, 2023

common swift in flight
Europe has lost half a billion birds in 40 years 
Europe has lost over half a billion birds in 40 years. The single biggest cause? Pesticides and fertilisers, writes Richard Gregory 

Tue, 06 Jun, 2023

Red kite conservation project
Man sentenced for poisoning birds of prey in Scotland
His actions, branded “shockingly irresponsible” by prosecutors, led to the deaths of five red kites and 10 rooks

Fri, 19 May, 2023

Irish Examiner view: Soaring eagles
Irish Examiner view: Soaring eagles
Bird populations

Sat, 13 May, 2023

Hooded Crow
Hooded crows: The Einstein of birds is often fooled by reflections
A hooded crow has brains, strong claws, and a razor-sharp beak — but it has a bit of an image problem

Thu, 11 May, 2023

Hummingbird , Andean Emerald
The '40-winks' is no doss — it's biologically ordained
Most birds don't hibernate but some do indeed use downtime creatively

Thu, 13 Apr, 2023

Robin (Erithacus rubecula).Wild bird in a natural habitat.
Donal Hickey: Early risers get to hear the dawn chorus
There are dawn chorus and dusk chorus walks taking place around the country, check out one near you

Thu, 13 Apr, 2023

Curbing killer cats — why we should and how to go about it
Curbing killer cats — why we should and how to go about it
Curfews, bibs, games — here are some practical steps cat owners can take to greatly reduce the risks to wildlife

Mon, 10 Apr, 2023

Baby robins 'doing exceptionally well' after rescue from disused Luas tram
Baby robins 'doing exceptionally well' after rescue from disused Luas tram
'Once you start getting food into them, feeding time is every half hour during the daylight hours'

Thu, 06 Apr, 2023

Flamingos social behaviour
Flamingo personalities analysed and 'birds of a feather' really do flock together
As in all crowded situations, avian or human, rows erupt from time to time. Being with like-minded individuals offers support in times of stress.

Thu, 16 Mar, 2023

Bird with Compass
Richard Collins: More animal magnetism studies needed
Many animals are sensitive to magnetic fields, which have a wide variety of uses, from navigation to a role in helping to catch prey, say researchers

Thu, 09 Mar, 2023

Donal Hickey: My backyard musician kicks off at 3am but he's a total pro and sounds great
Donal Hickey: My backyard musician kicks off at 3am but he's a total pro and sounds great
He's a song thrush who looks good too and should have no bother with courtship

Thu, 23 Feb, 2023

A good time to spot our winter visitors
A good time to spot our winter visitors
Curlews spotted on foreshore in Ballinskelligs and Rossbeigh — and Courtmacsherry is also a great spot for birdwatching

Thu, 02 Feb, 2023

Portrait of an American Mink ((Mustela vison) in the Rain
Richard Collins: New year, new start for Rathlin's ferret-catcher
Ferrets can no longer be tolerated on Rathlin which has important bird communities — ferrets, which were released on the island to control the rabbit population, also take eggs and chicks

Thu, 26 Jan, 2023

birds tits and sparrows sit on the feeder and et oil with seeds and nuts in the winter garden
How often should I clean my bird feeder?
Mouldy seeds or fatballs can spread disease, warn experts — and smaller birdfeeders are often easier to clean

Mon, 23 Jan, 2023

Islands of Ireland: Avoid Roe Island in spring so you don't disturb nesting birds
Islands of Ireland: Avoid Roe Island in spring so you don't disturb nesting birds
The islands of Strangford Lough are also known as pladdies and resemble a stationary pod of whales

Fri, 20 Jan, 2023

Juanita Browne: No need to wing it — tips for watching waders
Juanita Browne: No need to wing it — tips for watching waders
A word of warning though: dogs (even on a leash) can disturb wading birds and force them to miss out on feeding time

Tue, 03 Jan, 2023

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Mick Clifford
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