Table 1 Waterbird species occurring in Ireland

Divers and grebes

Red-throated Diver

Gavia stellata

Wintering - September to April, small numbers (<10 pr) breed in Donegal

Black-throated Diver

Gavia arctica

Wintering - September to April (Scarce)

Great Northern Diver

Gavia immer

Wintering - September to April

Little Grebe

Tachybaptus ruficollis

Year-round

Great Crested Grebe

Podiceps cristatus

Year-round, numbers increase during the winter due to immigrating birds

Shearwaters and Petrels

Manx Shearwater

Puffinus puffinus

Breeding - March to August

European Storm-petrel

Hydrobates pelagicus

Breeding - March to August

Leach's Storm-petrel

Oceanodroma leucorhoa

Breeding - March to August and passage September to October

Fulmar

Fulmarus glacialis

Year-round

Gannet

Gannet

Morus bassana

Year-round

Cormorants

European Shag

Phalacrocorax aristotelis

Year-round, few seen inshore outside the breeding season

Cormorant

Phalacrocorax carbo

Year-round, some immigration during the winter

Herons

Grey Heron

Ardea cinerea

Year-round

Little Egret

Egretta garzetta

Year-round

Wildfowl (swans, geese and ducks)

Mute Swan

Cygnus olor

Year-round

Bewick's Swan

Cygnus columbianus

Wintering - October to April

Whooper Swan

Cygnus cygnus

Wintering - October to April

Greenland White-fronted Goose

Anser anser flavirostris

Wintering - October to April

Greylag Goose

Anser anser

Year-round (feral birds), augmented by wintering birds- October to April

Canada Goose

Branta canadensis

Year-round (feral birds)

Barnacle Goose

Branta leucopsis

Wintering - October to April

Light-bellied Brent Goose

Branta branta hrota

Wintering - October to April

Shelduck

Tadorna tadorna

Wintering - September to April

Wigeon

Anas penelope

Wintering - September to April

Gadwall

Anas strepera

Year-round, augmented by wintering birds - October to April (scarce)

Teal

Anas crecca

Year-round, augmented by wintering birds - September to April

Mallard

Anas platyrhynchos

Year-round, augmented by wintering birds - September to April

Pintail

Anas acuta

Wintering - September to April

Shoveler

Anas clypeata

Wintering - September to April

Pochard

Aythya ferina

Predominantly wintering - September to April, small numbers breed

Tufted Duck

Aythya fuligula

Predominantly wintering - September to April, small numbers breed

Scaup

Anas marila

Wintering - September to April

Eider

Somateria mollissima

Wintering - September to April

Long-tailed Duck

Clangula hyemalis

Wintering - September to April

Common Scoter

Melanitta nigra

Predominantly wintering - September to April, small numbers breed

Goldeneye

Bucephala clangula

Wintering - September to April

Red-breasted Merganser

Mergus serrator

Wintering - September to April, small numbers breed in West

Goosander

Mergus merganser

Year-round, small numbers breed (scarce)

Ruddy Duck

Oxyura jamaicensis

Year-round (feral birds)

Rail & Coots

Water Rail

Rallus aquaticus

Year-round

Moorhen

Gallinula chloropus

Year-round, augmented by wintering birds - September to April

Coot

Fulica atra

Year-round, augmented by wintering birds - September to April

Waders

Oystercatcher

Haematopus ostralegus

Year-round, augmented by wintering birds - September to April

Ringed Plover

Charadrius hiaticula

Year-round, augmented by wintering birds - September to April

Golden Plover

Pluvialis apricaria

Wintering birds - September to April, breeding birds - April to September, some overlap in populations

Grey Plover

Pluvialis squatarola

Wintering birds - September to April

Lapwing

Vanellus vanellus

Wintering birds - September to April, breeding birds - April to September, some overlap in populations

Knot

Calidris canutus

Wintering birds - September to April

Sanderling

Calidris alba

Wintering birds - September to April

Little Stint

Calidris minuta

Passage birds - August to October (scarce)

Curlew Sandpiper

Calidris ferruginea

Passage birds - August to October (scarce)

Purple Sandpiper

Calidris maritima

Wintering birds - September to April

Dunlin

Calidris alpina

Wintering birds - September to April, small numbers breed in west

Ruff

Philomachus pugnax

Spring and autumn passage (scarce)

Jack Snipe

Lymnocryptes minimus

Wintering birds - September to April

Snipe

Gallinago gallinago

Year round, augmented by wintering birds - September to April

Woodcock

Scolopax rusticola

Year round, augmented by wintering birds - September to April

Black-tailed Godwit

Limosa limosa

Wintering birds - August to April

Bar-tailed Godwit

Limosa lapponica

Wintering birds - September to April

Whimbrel

Numenius phaeopus

Passage birds - April to September

Curlew

Numenius arquata

Year round, augmented by wintering birds - September to April

Redshank

Tringa totanus

Year round, augmented by wintering birds - September to April

Greenshank

Tringa nebularia

Wintering birds - September to April

Common Sandpiper

Actitus hypoleucos

Summer visitor - breeding birds present April to September

Turnstone

Arenaria interpres

Wintering birds - September to April

Skuas, Gulls & Terns

Great Skua

Stercorarius skua

Passage birds - April to October

Arctic Skua

S. parasiticus

Passage birds - April to October

Mediterranean Gull

Larus melanocephalus

Year-round, very small breeding numbers (scarce)

Black-headed Gull

Larus ridibundus

Year-round, some local migration to/from breeding areas

Common Gull

Larus canus

Year-round, some local migration to/from breeding areas in west.

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Larus fuscus

Occur during the breeding season, March/April to August/September

Herring Gull

Larus argentatus

Year-round, some local migration

Great Black-backed Gull

Larus marinus

Year-round, some local migration

Little Gull

Larus minutus

Wintering birds - September to April (scarce)