Organisation: Birdwatch Ireland

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

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

Almost 100 birds rescued following East Coast oil spill crisis
Almost 100 birds rescued following East Coast oil spill crisis
Kildare Wildlife Rescue Dan Donoher said the primary objective now is to provide the best care for the rehabilitation of the 90 Guillemots and six Razorbills

Tue, 07 May, 2024

Sigginstown Island — uninhabited but supremely rich in birdlife
Sigginstown Island — uninhabited but supremely rich in birdlife
The name 'Sigginstown' comes from the Anglo-Norman settler family of de Sygan who are thought to have built the nearby tower in the 16th century

Fri, 01 Mar, 2024

Hen harrier (Circus cyaneus)
Anja Murray: Hen harriers will be extinct here in the next 25 years if we don't change things now
The hen harrier is no longer a common sight here and is one of Ireland’s rarest and most vulnerable birds of prey

Wed, 21 Feb, 2024

Cork barn owl population on the increase
Cork barn owl population on the increase
Barn owls have been recorded in numbers not seen in County Cork in the past 50 years

Wed, 31 Jan, 2024

Conservation rewards system needs to work for farmers if it is to actually work
Conservation rewards system needs to work for farmers if it is to actually work
Increasing numbers of farmers are participating in eco-schemes and this is critical to their success and to repairing the damage done to the Irish countryside in the last 50 years

Thu, 25 Jan, 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

Donal Hickey: Funding for greenways, walking trails, and beach access — at Ballybunion, Valentia, Macroom and more locations
Donal Hickey: Funding for greenways, walking trails, and beach access — at Ballybunion, Valentia, Macroom and more locations
€2.3million is to go towards 50 new outdoor recreation projects, including Ireland’s first underwater artificial reef at Killala Bay, in Mayo

Thu, 07 Dec, 2023

birds tits and sparrows sit on the feeder and et oil with seeds and nuts in the winter garden
Taking part in BirdWatch Ireland's garden bird survey helps to guide conservation
Survey co-ordinator Brian Burke said it is something a person can do with a cup of tea looking out the window of their kitchen, washing the dishes or filling a kettle with water

Wed, 06 Dec, 2023

A view of a starling murmuration over Lough Ennell, Co. Westmeath 3/3/2020
Starling murmurations: Public urged to watch out for amazing overhead spectacles
BirdWatch Ireland wants to record the number of murmurations that take place, which peak in December and January

Mon, 04 Dec, 2023

Curlew, Numenius arquata
Welcome funds to save breeding waders from extinction
Waders are among the most threatened of all breeding birds in Ireland, with six in the red list of birds of conservation concern: curlew, lapwing, dunlin, golden plover, redshank, and snipe

Thu, 16 Nov, 2023

Richard Collins: Disappearing garden birds caused by an ancient parasite
Richard Collins: Disappearing garden birds caused by an ancient parasite
There are fewer chaffinches and goldfinches these days — and greenfinches seem to have suffered greatly

Thu, 09 Nov, 2023

Window crash owl leaves imprint
S Michael Moynihan: Simple steps we should all follow to take birds under our wing
Great to see dolphins in the Lee a few days back.

Thu, 26 Oct, 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

Call for urgent 'step-change' in climate transition investment
Call for urgent 'step-change' in climate transition investment
Renewables industry and environmental groups urge increased funding and fast-track recruitment process for State bodies key to delivering zero-carbon electricity system and protecting nature

Mon, 02 Oct, 2023

Gaining comfort from family
Letters to the Editor: We should heed what families say on the subject of assisted dying
One reader calls for compassion in the debate about assisted dying, while others consider issues including public spending, organ donation, hunting, and landlords' rights 

Fri, 29 Sep, 2023

Letters to the Editor: Minister Noonan is on a power trip over hunt ban list
Letters to the Editor: Minister Noonan is on a power trip over hunt ban list
Five responses to Donal Hickey's article on September 2, ‘Four birds added to hunt ban list’

Thu, 28 Sep, 2023

Clodagh Finn: Why Harry Styles’ boa is not a feather in his cap
Clodagh Finn: Why Harry Styles’ boa is not a feather in his cap
The recent description of the aftermath of a Harry Styles gig as a “feather boa massacre” brings to mind the fact that our fashion choices have a direct impact on the world we live in

Sat, 01 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

Public asked to help track a number of barn owls in Cork
Public asked to help track a number of barn owls in Cork
Owl in danger of extinction due to agricultural practices and use of rodenticides

Tue, 20 Jun, 2023

Islands of Ireland: Fiddaun Island is strictly for the birds
Islands of Ireland: Fiddaun Island is strictly for the birds
The Forster's Tern is a visitor to this island. And it's possible to walk here at spring tides

Fri, 16 Jun, 2023

Cop26 - Glasgow
Al Gore tells Cork conference: This decade the most decisive for climate and biodiversity
The noted climate change campaigner told the Fair Seas World Ocean Day conference at Cork City Hall that Ireland is at the forefront of managing and protection marine life

Thu, 08 Jun, 2023

Smart human intervention can bring Europe's wildlife ‘Back from the Brink’
Smart human intervention can bring Europe's wildlife ‘Back from the Brink’
Our planet is paying the price for generations of environmental mismanagement so it's great to hear about some of the ordinary people who are doing extraordinary conservation work

Sun, 04 Jun, 2023

John Gibbons: Wildlife population decline is more acute than we once thought
John Gibbons: Wildlife population decline is more acute than we once thought
While efforts at EU level to push through a are being stymied at every turn, is it instead our dysfunctional political process that’s in need of restoration?Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Dáil this week that aspects of the proposed law “go too ...

Thu, 25 May, 2023

Forest path in the Killarney National Park in Ireland
Donal Hickey: We need more trees but they need to be the right trees in the right places
State afforestation plans pose extinction risk to threatened farmland birds says BirdWatch Ireland

Thu, 25 May, 2023

Red Grouse Male with flared red eyebrows stood in blooming purple heather. Facing left.
Donal Hickey: Does hunting birds on a conservation list make sense?
A public consultation on the open seasons order is now underway so you can have your say on this issue — link in this article

Thu, 20 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

There is just no avoiding it — Irish farming must change in response to biodiversity crisis
There is just no avoiding it — Irish farming must change in response to biodiversity crisis
If Ireland is to reverse its plummetting level of biodiversity, the treadmill of intensive beef and dairy production cannot continue.

Sun, 09 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

Islands of Ireland: Are ye right there for a trip to Illaunaclaggin, are ye right?
Islands of Ireland: Are ye right there for a trip to Illaunaclaggin, are ye right?
The West Clare Railway might have had notorious timetable issues — but the ducks, geese, swans, and other birds have no problem getting onto or off this island

Fri, 10 Mar, 2023

Nothing 'green' about floating litter into the sky 
Nothing 'green' about floating litter into the sky 
No balloon is 'environmentally friendly' and every released balloon becomes litter and can be harmful, according to a study. Do you really want to celebrate a birthday or graduation or commemorate a loved one with plastic waste?

Tue, 07 Mar, 2023

Urgent need to get a grip on toxic habit of using poisons
Urgent need to get a grip on toxic habit of using poisons
A farmer who has stopped using rodenticide discovered his farm actually has fewer rats — the owls are doing a better job of controlling rodents than the rat poison

Wed, 01 Mar, 2023

On a mission to boost marine habitat health
On a mission to boost marine habitat health
Greater Skellig hot spot included in same league as the Galápagos Islands and the Great Barrier Reef

Wed, 15 Feb, 2023

Anja Murray: New farm rules pose extinction risk to threatened farmland birds
Anja Murray: New farm rules pose extinction risk to threatened farmland birds
Birds that rely on winter stubble in the fields for food and shelter will suffer as new Government regulations say stubble must be ploughed into the ground

Wed, 18 Jan, 2023

Birdwatchers in a flap over new arrivals in Cork nature reserve
Birdwatchers in a flap over new arrivals in Cork nature reserve
'Remarkable sighting' of penduline tits, normally found in southern and central Europe, in wetland near Macroom

Wed, 04 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

birds tits and sparrows sit on the feeder and et oil with seeds and nuts in the winter garden
Home & Gardens: How to clean your bird feeders
A dirty feeding station will attract all the wrong sort of attention, and can actively transmit illness between sick birds

Tue, 27 Dec, 2022

How to welcome birds and other wildlife to your garden
How to welcome birds and other wildlife to your garden
Ornithologist Cian Cardiff explains how to offer a Happy New Year to our garden birds and wildlife as 2023 breaks

Tue, 27 Dec, 2022

Ireland has 'stacks of homework to do' in order to meet environment requirements 
Ireland has 'stacks of homework to do' in order to meet environment requirements 
Nearly 200 countries signed an agreement to put humanity on a path to living in harmony with nature, but Ireland is lagging behind 

Mon, 19 Dec, 2022

Donal Hickey: Have polar bears and kittens replaced robins on our Christmas cards?
Donal Hickey: Have polar bears and kittens replaced robins on our Christmas cards?
Donkeys and reindeer seem to have dropped off many Christmas cards but sleepy dogs are still popular

Thu, 15 Dec, 2022

Old hiking boots filled with sweets, gifts and Christmas decoration on Nicholas day, or German Nikolaus Tag, on the 6th December
If plants are their buds or they just need to take a hike — top gift ideas for nature lovers
Quality outdoor clothing is always welcome for those who spend time in nature — warm and rain-resistant is key

Wed, 07 Dec, 2022

Juanita Browne: Give some really wild Christmas gifts this year
Juanita Browne: Give some really wild Christmas gifts this year
Unusual art, tweety toys that make bird sounds, or calendars and annual subscriptions — there's something for every nature lover here

Wed, 16 Nov, 2022

Birdwatch Ireland probe: €500k earmarked for specific projects wasn't used for them 
Birdwatch Ireland probe: €500k earmarked for specific projects wasn't used for them 
More than half a million euros that was earmarked for specific projects in Birdwatch Ireland was not used for those projects according to an investigation by the Charities Regulator.

Wed, 09 Nov, 2022

Horizontal photo of single male blue tit songbird. Bird is perched on thin twig of red rose hip with few fruits. Animal has yell
Juanita Browne: How to get involved in the annual Garden Bird Survey
Here's how to get involved — and how to get to know your garden birds better

Tue, 08 Nov, 2022

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Mick Clifford
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