A review of Ireland's waterbirds, with emphasis on wintering migrants and reference to H5N1 avian influenza

Crowe, O; Wilson, J; Aznar, I; More, SJ

doi:10.1186/2046-0481-62-12-800

Irish Veterinary Journal

Table 2 Flyway origins of species occurring in Ireland outside the breeding season

From: A review of Ireland's waterbirds, with emphasis on wintering migrants and reference to H5N1 avian influenza

Species		Breeding¹	Wintering¹	Flyway estimate²	All-Ireland estimate³
Red-throated Diver	Gavia stellata	Arctic/boreal W Eurasia, Greenland	Europe, Greenland	300,000	1,025+
Black-throated Diver	Gavia arctica	N Europe and W Siberia	NW Europe, Mediterranean, Black and Caspian Seas	375,000	<1,000
Great Northern Diver	Gavia immer	N America, Greenland, Iceland	NW Europe	5,000	<1,000
Little Grebe	Tachybaptus ruficollis	Europe, NW Africa	Europe, NW Africa	340,000	2,345+
Great Crested Grebe	Podiceps cristatus	NW Europe	NW Europe	475,000	5,385+
Great Cormorant	Phalacrocorax carbo	NW Europe	NW Europe	120,000	13,710+
Grey Heron	Ardea cinerea	W Europe, NW Africa	W Europe, NW Africa	274,500	2,960+
Little Egret	Egretta garzetta	Ireland, UK, Continent, N Africa	Ireland, UK, Continent, N Africa	134,000	<1,000
Mute Swan	Cygnus olor	Irelanda	Ireland^a	11,440a	11,440
Bewick's Swan	Cygnus columbianus bewickii	Arctic N Russia	NW Europe	29,000	380
Whooper Swan	Cygnus cygnus	Iceland	Ireland, UK, Iceland	20,900	12,730
Greenland White- fronted Goose	Anser albifrons flavirostris	W Greenland	Scotland, Ireland	33,000	11,340
Greylag Goose	Anser anser	Iceland	UK, Ireland	89,100	5,030^b
Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ireland	Ireland	1,050	1,050
Barnacle Goose	Branta leucopsis	Greenland	Scotland, Ireland	54,100	9,035
Light-bellied Brent Goose	Branta bernicla hrota	Canada, Greenland	Ireland	21,750	30,000
Common Shelduck	Tadorna tadorna	NW Europe	NW Europe	300,000	14,610
Eurasian Wigeon	Anas penelope	W Siberia, NW and NE Europe	NW Europe	1,500,000	82,370+
Gadwall	Anas strepera	NW Europe	W Europe	60,000	630
Eurasian Teal	Anas crecca	N and NW Europe	NW Europe	400,000	45,010+
Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	N Europe	NW Europe	4,500,000	38,250+
Northern Pintail	Anas acuta	N Europe, W Siberia	NW Europe	60,000	1,235
Northern Shoveler	Anas clypeata	N, NW, Central Europe	NW, Central Europe	40,000	2,545
Common Pochard	Aythya ferina	Russia, NE and NW Europe	NE and NW Europe	350,000	37,780
Tufted Duck	Aythya fuligula	N and NW Europe	NW Europe	1,200,000	36,610
Greater Scaup	Aythya marila	W Siberia, N Europe	W Europe	310,000	4,430
Common Eider	Somateria mollissima	see c below	see c below	1,548,000c	2,890
Long-tailed Duck	Clangula hyemalis	Iceland and Greenland	N Atlantic	125,000	<1,000
Common Scoter	Melanitta nigra	N and NW Europe, W Siberia	Baltic, E Atlantic	1,600,000	23,190
Common Goldeneye	Bucephala clangula	N, NW and Central Europe	NW and Central Europe	400,000	9,665
Red-breasted Merganser	Mergus serrator	NW and Central Europe, Iceland, E Greenland	NW and Central Europe, Iceland	170,000	3,390
Water Rail	Rallus aquaticus	Iceland	Faeroes, Scotland, Ireland	Unknown	Unknown
Common Moorhen	Gallinula chloropus	Europe and N Africa	Europe and N Africa	3,550,000	Unknown
Common Coot	Fulica atra	E, N, W Europe	NW Europe	1,750,000	33,160
Eurasian Oystercatcher	Haematopus ostralegus	N, C, W Europe	Europe, NW Africa	1,020,000	67,620
Ringed Plover	Charadrius hiaticula	Iceland, N and NW Europe	W Europe, N Africa, Mediterranean	73,000	14,580
European Golden Plover	Pluvialis apricaria	Iceland, the Faeroes, Greenland	Ireland, W Britain, Continent, NW Africa	930,000	166,700+
Grey Plover	Pluvialis squatarola	Arctic Russia, NE Canada	Wadden Sea, Ireland, UK, S and W Africa	247,000	6,315
Northern Lapwing	Vanellus vanellus	Europe	Europe, N Africa	6,750,000	207,700+
Red Knot	Calidris canutus	Canada, Greenland	W Europe	450,000	18,970
Sanderling	Calidris alba	NE Canada, Greenland, Svalbard	E Atlantic, W and S Africa	123,000	6,680
Purple Sandpiper	Calidris maritima	E Atlantic	E Atlantic	75,000	3,330
Dunlin	Calidris alpina	N Scandinavia, Russia, NW Siberia	W Europe, Mediterranean, N Africa	1,330,000	88,480
Jack Snipe	Lymnocryptes minimus	N Russia, S Sweden, N Poland, N Belarus, Baltic	W and S Europe, N and W Africa	>1,000,000	Unknown
Snipe	Gallinago gallinago	N Europe	S and W Europe, W Africa	>2,500,000	Unknown
Woodcock	Scolopax rusticola	Europe	W and S Europe, N Africa	17,500,000	Unknown
Black-tailed Godwit	Limosa limosa	Iceland, the Faeroes	Britain, Ireland, Continent, N Africa	47,000	13,880
Bar-tailed Godwit	Limosa lapponica	N Europe, N Russia	W Europe, NW Africa	120,000	16,280
Whimbrel	Numenius phaeopus	Iceland, the Faeroes, Scotland	W Africa	675,000	Unknown
Eurasian Curlew	Numenius arquata	W, N and Central Europe	W Europe, Mediterranean, NW Africa	850,000	54,650+
Common Redshank	Tringa totanus	see d below	see d below	400,000d	31,090
Common Greenshank	Tringa nebularia	Scotland, Scandinavia	W and SW Europe, NW, W and S Africa	420,000	1,265
Ruddy Turnstone	Arenaria interpres	NE Canada, Greenland	W Europe, NW Africa	150,000	11,810
Mediterranean Gull	Larus melanocephalus	Black Sea, C, S, W Europe	Black Sea, Mediterranean, NW Europe, NW Africa	660,000	<200
Black-headed Gull	Larus ridibundus	Greenland, N and W Europe	S and W Europe	4,250,000	Unknown
Common Gull	Larus canus	Iceland, Ireland, Britain	Europe, N Africa	1,725,000	Unknown
Lesser Black-backed Gull	Larus fuscus	Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, UK, Belgium, France	W Europe, W France	550,000	Unknown
Herring Gull	Larus argentatus	Iceland, Ireland, Britain, NW France, Germany	NW Europe	590,000	Unknown
Great Black-backed Gull	Larus marinus	NW France, Britain, Ireland, Iceland, N Europe	E Atlantic S to Iberia	440,000	Unknown

¹From Wernham et al. (2002), also EURING's Migration Mapping Tool http://blx1.bto.org/ai-eu
²From Wetlands International [21].
³Crowe et al. [3].
^a The Irish Mute Swan population has been elevated to biogeographic population [21], and the threshold is thus the same as that for all-Ireland.
^bAdditional birds from feral population - c. 2,000 individuals.
^cThe relevant population on which to base the 1% threshold for Common Eider has been taken as the NW European total which comprises the four populations in this region (Britain/Ireland 73,000, Baltic/Wadden Sea 850,000-1,200,000, Norway/NW Russia 300,000-550,000 and White Sea 20,000-30,000).
^dThe relevant populations for Common Redshank include two populations, robusta (breed in Iceland and the Faeroes, winter Britain, Ireland, NW France) and brittanica (breed in Britain and Ireland, winter Britain, Ireland, NW France).

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ISSN: 2046-0481

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