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Irish Examiner
14 hours ago
- Science
- Irish Examiner
Birds of Ireland: Coot
Coot | Cearc cheannann | Fulica atra A coot is about 36-40cm long with a wingspan of 70-80cm. They are a common breeding species found here all year round — typically on wetlands. Smaller than a mallard, both sexes appear similar. Coots can dive quite well. Birds of Ireland: coot An adult coot has a conspicuous white beak and forehead shield; black plumage; dark red eye; and large, lobed green-grey feet. Juvenile coots are paler than adults, especially on the head, neck and breast. Similar to a young moorhen but they lack white on the undertail; downy chicks dark brown with an orange-red head. A coot in its first winter after hatching looks like an adult but has a smaller forehead shield and a grey tinge to the beak. In flight coots appear all dark with narrow, white trailing edge to the secondaries. Their voice sounds include a loud short krouw, repeated mechanically, with several intermittent brief high-pitched nasal whistles. Coots skipping across the Lough in Cork. Picture: Denis Minihane Tip of the Week: Binoculars, telescopes and cameras are some of the important tools a birdwatcher uses when identifying and studying birds. Like cars, they range from the very cheap and nasty, via the practical and reliable 'value for money' models, right up to incredibly expensive equipment which sometimes functions mainly as a status symbol. If you do your homework before choosing, you can get a pair of binoculars and/or a telescope that will last you a lifetime, for less than the price of a weekend away. When it comes to birdwatching, a pair of binoculars should definitely be the next purchase after your identification guide and notebook. Birds have an unfortunate habit of flying away if you get too close. This can be thought of as part of the challenge, or sometimes the frustration, of birdwatching. The more interested you become in birds and their identification the more apparent it will be that, to learn more about them, you will need to get a closer look, and binoculars are essential to do this without disturbing them. Birds of Ireland: A field guide By Jim Wilson, with photographs by Mark Carmody Read More Birds of Ireland: Swallow
Irish Examiner
25-05-2025
- General
- Irish Examiner
Birds of Ireland: Woodpigeon
Woodpigeon | Colm coille | Columba palumbus A woodpigeon is typically 40-42cm long with a wingspan of 75-80cm. They are a common breeding species here and are found all year round in woodlands, farmland, and in gardens. Woodpigeons are rook-sized — fat-looking with a small head; short, red legs; a pale yellow/pink beak; a pale cream iris; and an overall grey body. Adult woodpigeons have white neck patches/crescents on their wings; and a pink-grey breast — their rump/lower back is a pale blue-grey; and their tail is grey with a black band, more clearly marked below. Birds of Ireland: Woodpigeon Juvenile and immature woodpigeon look like the adults but lack the white on their neck. In flight a woodpigeon appears grey, with the white crescents on their wings visible. They have rapid wingbeats and can be mistaken for bird of prey. In display they show a steep flight upwards, ending in loud wing claps and downward glide. A woodpigeons voice is a loud cooing, sounding like Take two, John, take two; often repeated several times/may start in middle of phrase. Juvenile and immature woodpigeon look like the adults but lack the white on their necks Tip of the Week Like many other things, bird conservation can begin at home. There are many things, at a personal or local level, that you can do to help birds in their daily lives: 1. Make your garden bird-friendly by planting suitable trees and plants such as berry bushes and by providing water, perhaps by making a permanent pond. 2. The plastic rings holding packs of beer or soft drink cans together can get caught around birds' necks and result in their suffering a long, slow, agonising death. Always cut up these plastic rings before throwing them in the bin and if you come across them bring them home or tear them up on the spot. 3. Discarded fishing line is another lethal trap for birds, so always cut the line up into small pieces before disposing of it in a waste bin. Also try to avoid using lead weights. Safe substitutes are available. Lost lead can find its way into Mute Swans and other wildfowl and poison them. 4. Under the Wildlife Acts, hedge-cutting in the Republic of Ireland is illegal between March 1 and August 31 each year, though some exceptions are allowed for, amongst others, reasons of road safety and agricultural operations. Please report any illegal hedge-cutting to the National Parks & Wildlife Service or your local authority. F eatured in Birds of Ireland: A field guide By Jim Wilson, with photographs by Mark Carmody Birds of Ireland: A field guide By Jim Wilson, with photographs by Mark Carmody Jim Wilson is a wildlife writer, broadcaster, tour leader, and former chairman of BirdWatch Ireland. He has been involved in the study and conservation of birds in Ireland for more than 45 years, contributing to several major surveys and international projects. Mark Carmody is an award-winning wildlife photographer, has a PhD in biochemistry and works as a European patent attorney. Read More Birds of Ireland: Chaffinch
Irish Examiner
19-05-2025
- General
- Irish Examiner
Birds of Ireland: Collared dove
Collared Dove | Fearán baicdhubh | Streptopelia decaocto A collared dove is about 30-32 centimetres long with a wing span of 49-53cm. They are a common breeding species found in farmland and in gardens here all year around. A collared dove is slightly smaller than a jackdaw and both sexes look similar. They have a short, thin, dark beak; dark red eyes; short, powdery-pink legs. Collared doves of all ages have sandy-brown plumage, dark brown primaries, and a distinctive (but not always noticeable) thin, black half-collar at the base of their neck. Recently fledged birds have no half collar. In flight a collared dove looks sandy-brown with darker wing tips visible as are the pale tips to most tail feathers, and their large, white undertail band. A collared dove flies straight with fast, jerky wingbeats. For its display behaviour a collared dove glides with stiff, slightly downcurved wings/fanned tail, showing pale under-wing/white undertail with black band at base. Its voice is a gentle cooing sound phrased like ' can yoouuu coo' repeated twice or more. Birds of Ireland: Collared dove Tip of the week: Separating the calls of the collared dove and woodpigeon is easy if you remember that collared doves seem to say, ' Can yoouuu coo ... can yoouuu coo ...', while the similar-sounding woodpigeon 'says' ' take two, John, take two'. There are some very reliable websites with excellent libraries of bird sounds, such as Doves and pigeons are characterised by very short legs, small heads and cooing calls. The most common member of this group is the woodpigeon, which can be a serious pest to farmers. The most recent arrival is the collared dove, unheard of here before 1959, and now widespread and common. Featured in Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide, (Gill Books) by Jim Wilson, with photographs by Mark Carmody Birds of Ireland: A field guide By Jim Wilson, with photographs by Mark Carmody Jim Wilson is a wildlife writer, broadcaster, tour leader, and former chairman of BirdWatch Ireland. He has been involved in the study and conservation of birds in Ireland for more than 45 years, contributing to several major surveys and international projects. Mark Carmody is an award-winning wildlife photographer, has a PhD in biochemistry and works as a European patent attorney. Read More Birds of Ireland: Magpie
Irish Examiner
09-05-2025
- General
- Irish Examiner
Birds of Ireland: Kingfisher
Kingfisher | Cruidín | Alcedo atthis Kingfishers are around 16-18cm long with a wingspan of 24-26cm. They are a common breeding species found here all year round in wetland areas. A kingfisher is smaller than a starling and both sexes look similar. They have a metallic-looking pale blue back and an orange breast and belly with a white neck patch. Kingfishers have short, rounded sky-blue wings with white spots on the inner half. And they have a dagger-shaped beak and very short pink-red legs. The male has an all-dark beak and female has orange-red towards the base of the lower mandible. In flight, kingfishers look like a blue flash; they have a low, straight, buzzing flight with occasional gliding. They dive from branches and other perches over water and can be seen on the coast in winter. A kingfisher's call is a very loud, piercing pseeeeee, often repeated several times, usually in flight. Birds of Ireland: Kingfisher Tip of the week 'Habitat' describes where the bird is usually found in Ireland and may help with identification. Having said that, birds can turn up in the most unlikely habitats, well away from where they are typically found. After storms, for instance, gannets, which usually stay well out to sea, have turned up in fields and on ponds quite far inland. Some species spend the breeding season in one habitat and use different habitats outside the breeding season. Kingfishers generally breed on freshwater rivers but can be seen in estuaries and on the coast in winter. Be very cautious, but never rule out identifying a species based on where you see it. In flight, kingfishers look like a blue flash; they have a low, straight, buzzing flight with occasional gliding. They dive from branches and other perches over water and can be seen on the coast in winter. Picture: Andrew Brown/Solent News/Shutterstock The habitat types mentioned in Birds of Ireland are: Sea: mainly at sea, usually away from the coast. Coast: mainly along the coast, sandy or rocky shore, and associated habitats such as cliffs, coastal grassland, sand dune and lagoon. Estuary: where a river enters the sea and the water is mainly saltwater and tidal. Also associated habitats such as mudflat and saltmarsh, etc. Wetland: all freshwater habitats such as stream, river, lake, and associated habitats such as reed bed, bog, canal and man-made ponds, etc. Farmland: any cultivated land, tillage, grassland, hedgerows, and associated habitats such as fallow land and uncultivated meadow, etc. Woodland: any substantial natural, semi-natural or planted deciduous, coniferous or mixed wooded area, and associated habitat such as understorey growth, etc. Upland: any area of high ground free of trees or shrubs. Garden: any garden, big or small, rural, suburban or urban. Suburban: a mixture of moderate housing density and gardens. Urban: High-density housing with few gardens and associated parks, etc Birds of Ireland: A field guide By Jim Wilson, with photographs by Mark Carmody Featured in Birds of Ireland: A field guide Jim Wilson is a wildlife writer, broadcaster, tour leader, and former chairman of BirdWatch Ireland. He has been involved in the study and conservation of birds in Ireland for more than 45 years, contributing to several major surveys and international projects. Mark Carmody is an award-winning wildlife photographer, has a PhD in biochemistry and works as a European patent attorney. Read More
