Common Irish Birds

1. Common Irish Birds Thomas Percy Bracken Educate Together National School Balbriggan Co. Dublin

2. Different Types of Birds • There are many different types of birds that can be witnessed around the country. • They can be found in many different areas… • Look around the school yard and spot the different types of birds evident. Note their colours and size. Gardens, Parks and Buildings Woodland and Scrubland Farmland and Hedgerows Costal Areas Moorland and Upland Freshwater

3. Bird Anatomy • Beginning to study birds requires knowledge of the anatomy of a bird. Observe below…

4. Observing Bird Characteristics!!!

5. The Willy Wagtail • GlasógShráide is ainm don ‘Willy Wagtail’ as Gaeilge • Scientific name is ‘Motacilla alba’ • Black and white plumage and bobbing tail make it easily identifiable. They are ‘busy’ birds with a brisk gait and swift run. • Long slender legs…often seen snatching an insect flying above them. Frequently feeds among cattle who…?? • In winter 90% of time is spent catching small insects, in autumn they roost in reed beds or even green houses • O’Connell St famous for wagtails where 3600 have been counted • Few migrate from August to October, 130000 pairs breed

6. Can you name the following bird???

7. The Chaffinch • RíRua is ainm don ‘Chaffinch’ as Gaeilge • Scientific name is ‘FringillaCoelebs’ • Very common bird with just over 2,000,000 pairs • Found near trees and bushes, typical in Kerry oakwoods • Identified in flight by a broad, white shoulder patch and white outer tail feathers. Male has a pinkish brown breast and blue grey head • Female is olive green above and lighter below. • Bramble is very similar BUT has doesn’t have a greenish rump. • Gregarious outside the breeding season • Irish Chaffinches are sedentary!!!

8. Look familiar???

9. What is this exotic looking bird???

10. More video footage!!!

11. Any further observations???

12. The Gold Finch • Lasairchoille is ainm don ‘Chaffinch’ as Gaeilge • Scientific name is ‘Cardueliscarduelis’ • Not that common with 55,000 breeding pairs • A striking jaunty bird with black and yellow wings and a striking red and white pattern on its head. • Commonly found near wooded areas, farms and gardens…long thin bill allows access to thistle heads, knapweed and teasels to extract seeds. Beginning to remerge after 19th C birdcage trade. • Very sociable bird, regularly joining roaming groups of up to 100 birds. Experts suggest some migration and in the autumn British-bred goldfinches often immigrate to Ireland.

13. The Greenfinch

14. The Greenfinch • Glasándarach is ainm don t-éinseo. • Scientific name is ‘Carduelischloris’ • Very common bird that is quite ‘stocky’. Active bird though not as agile as its yellow and green relative...the siskin. • Heavy stout bill, short deeply forked tail...typical bill of a seed eater. Male is yellow with areas of yellow, black and grey plumage...black lore, yellow rump...tail has yellow sides and a black tip. • Wing has a strong yellow edge with grey coverts...aggressive squabbling at the nutbag. • Mostly sedentary but may migrate south during winter...autumn migration from UK into Ireland...can be seen coastally from September to October • Returns April – May. Approximately 160, 000 breeding pairs in Ireland.

15. The Great Tit

16. The Great Tit • Meantánmór is ainm don t-éanseo as Gaeilge • Parus major is the scientific name • This is the largest and strongest of the tits and is quite handsome. Head and neck are glossy black...cheeks are brilliant white and a broad black band extends down breast and belly. • Clear call heard from January onwards...loves woodlands, gardens and parks. 420, 000 breeding pairs in Ireland. • Often forage on the ground for insects...in winter and autumn, beech and other seeds are an important part of their diet

17. More about the Great Tit • Great Tits pioneered the opening of milk bottle tops to suck the cream...however they help the gardener by eating caterpillars which transform into the what......?

18. The Blue Tit

19. The Blue Tit • A small, active little tit Tit which can be found everywhere from cities to forests  it is ? • A ‘jolly’ visitor that provides endless entertainment...they have small pointed bills that are very useful for picking off insects and grubs. They are highly acrobatic and often feed upside down. • The adult has a sky blue crown, contrasting strongly with the white and black of the rest of the head. A neat black line runs from the bill base through the eye onto the rear crown, where it widens and falls down before extending forwards to meet a neat black bib on the chin. The rump is lime green and the tail a slight dull blue grey.

20. More on the Blue Tit • The wings are sky blue with a white wing bar. • Black central streak on the belly. • Birds are sedentary although breed less successfully in urban settings e.g. ??? • Often attack putty in the windows which can be a cause of frustration for some!!! • Cad is ainm don t-éan as Gaeilge?