Northern Ireland bird checklist
297 bird species in 62 families have been recorded in Northern Ireland, according to eBird; about 250 of them are seen regularly, and the rest are rarities, vagrants and escaped or introduced birds. Download the full list as a PDF, or tick birds off on your phone, with counts and notes, even without signal.
Download the PDF (297 species)
Species data: eBird.org, updated · How these lists are made
The most common birds in Northern Ireland right now
1European Starling
2Eurasian Jackdaw
3European Goldfinch
4House Sparrow
5Mallard
6Rook
7European Robin
8Great Black-backed Gull
9Black-headed Gull
10Rock Pigeon
Northern Ireland bird checklist
297 species · loading the checklist tools…
Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl
- Snow Goose
- Graylag Goose
- Greater White-fronted Goose
- Taiga Bean-Goose
- Pink-footed Goose
- Brant
- Barnacle Goose
- Canada Goose
- Mute Swan
- Black Swan
- Tundra Swan
- Whooper Swan
- Ruddy Shelduck
- Paradise Shelduck
- Common Shelduck
- Muscovy Duck
- Wood Duck
- Mandarin Duck
- Baikal Teal
- Garganey
- Blue-billed Teal
- Blue-winged Teal
- Northern Shoveler
- Gadwall
- Eurasian Wigeon
- American Wigeon
- Mallard
- Northern Pintail
- Green-winged Teal
- Red-crested Pochard
- Common Pochard
- Ring-necked Duck
- Ferruginous Duck
- Tufted Duck
- Greater Scaup
- Lesser Scaup
- King Eider
- Common Eider
- Surf Scoter
- Velvet Scoter
- Common Scoter
- Long-tailed Duck
- Bufflehead
- Common Goldeneye
- Barrow's Goldeneye
- Smew
- Common Merganser
- Red-breasted Merganser
- Ruddy Duck
Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies
- Red Grouse
- Ring-necked Pheasant
- Common Quail
- Red-legged Partridge
Pigeons and Doves
- Rock Pigeon
- Stock Dove
- Common Wood-Pigeon
- European Turtle-Dove
- Oriental Turtle-Dove
- Eurasian Collared-Dove
Cuckoos
- Common Cuckoo
Nightjars and Allies
- Common Nighthawk
- Eurasian Nightjar
Swifts
- Alpine Swift
- Common Swift
Rails, Gallinules, and Coots
- Water Rail
- Corn Crake
- Eurasian Moorhen
- Eurasian Coot
Stilts and Avocets
- Pied Avocet
Oystercatchers
- Eurasian Oystercatcher
Plovers and Lapwings
- Black-bellied Plover
- European Golden-Plover
- American Golden-Plover
- Pacific Golden-Plover
- Eurasian Dotterel
- Killdeer
- Common Ringed Plover
- Little Ringed Plover
- Northern Lapwing
Sandpipers and Allies
- Eurasian Whimbrel
- Eurasian Curlew
- Bar-tailed Godwit
- Black-tailed Godwit
- Long-billed Dowitcher
- Jack Snipe
- Eurasian Woodcock
- Common Snipe
- Wilson's Phalarope
- Red Phalarope
- Red-necked Phalarope
- Common Sandpiper
- Spotted Sandpiper
- Green Sandpiper
- Wood Sandpiper
- Common Redshank
- Lesser Yellowlegs
- Spotted Redshank
- Common Greenshank
- Greater Yellowlegs
- Ruddy Turnstone
- Red Knot
- Ruff
- Curlew Sandpiper
- Stilt Sandpiper
- Temminck's Stint
- Buff-breasted Sandpiper
- Sanderling
- Dunlin
- Purple Sandpiper
- Baird's Sandpiper
- Little Stint
- White-rumped Sandpiper
- Pectoral Sandpiper
- Semipalmated Sandpiper
Skuas and Jaegers
- Long-tailed Jaeger
- Parasitic Jaeger
- Pomarine Jaeger
- Great Skua
Auks, Murres, and Puffins
- Atlantic Puffin
- Black Guillemot
- Razorbill
- Dovekie
- Common Murre
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers
- Little Gull
- Ross's Gull
- Black-legged Kittiwake
- Sabine's Gull
- Bonaparte's Gull
- Black-headed Gull
- Laughing Gull
- Franklin's Gull
- Mediterranean Gull
- Common Gull
- Ring-billed Gull
- Caspian Gull
- American Herring Gull
- European Herring Gull
- Yellow-legged Gull
- Great Black-backed Gull
- Glaucous Gull
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Iceland Gull
- Sooty Tern
- Little Tern
- Whiskered Tern
- Black Tern
- Forster's Tern
- Arctic Tern
- Common Tern
- Roseate Tern
- Sandwich Tern
- Elegant Tern
Flamingos
- Greater Flamingo
Grebes
- Little Grebe
- Horned Grebe
- Red-necked Grebe
- Great Crested Grebe
- Eared Grebe
Loons
- Red-throated Loon
- Arctic Loon
- Pacific Loon
- Common Loon
- Yellow-billed Loon
Northern Storm-Petrels
- European Storm-Petrel
- Leach's Storm-Petrel
Shearwaters and Petrels
- Northern Fulmar
- Cory's Shearwater
- Great Shearwater
- Sooty Shearwater
- Manx Shearwater
- Balearic Shearwater
Storks
- Black Stork
- White Stork
Boobies and Gannets
- Northern Gannet
Cormorants and Shags
- Great Cormorant
- European Shag
Ibises and Spoonbills
- Glossy Ibis
- African Sacred Ibis
- Eurasian Spoonbill
Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns
- Eurasian Bittern
- Black-crowned Night Heron
- Little Egret
- Squacco Heron
- Western Cattle-Egret
- Great Egret
- Gray Heron
Osprey
- Osprey
Hawks, Eagles, and Kites
- Golden Eagle
- Eurasian Sparrowhawk
- Western Marsh Harrier
- Hen Harrier
- Montagu's Harrier
- Red Kite
- White-tailed Eagle
- Rough-legged Hawk
- Common Buzzard
Barn-Owls
- Western Barn Owl
Owls
- Tawny Owl
- Long-eared Owl
- Short-eared Owl
Hoopoes
- Common Hoopoe
Kingfishers
- Common Kingfisher
Woodpeckers
- Great Spotted Woodpecker
Falcons and Caracaras
- Eurasian Kestrel
- Merlin
- Eurasian Hobby
- Gyrfalcon
- Peregrine Falcon
Old World Parrots
- Rose-ringed Parakeet
Vireos, Shrike-Babblers, and Erpornis
- Red-eyed Vireo
Old World Orioles
- Eurasian Golden Oriole
Shrikes
- Great Gray Shrike
Crows, Jays, and Magpies
- Eurasian Jay
- Eurasian Magpie
- Red-billed Chough
- Eurasian Jackdaw
- Rook
- Carrion Crow
- Hooded Crow
- Common Raven
Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice
- Coal Tit
- Eurasian Blue Tit
- Great Tit
Larks
- Eurasian Skylark
- Horned Lark
Reed Warblers and Allies
- Melodious Warbler
- Sedge Warbler
- Common Reed Warbler
Grassbirds and Allies
- Common Grasshopper Warbler
Swallows
- Bank Swallow
- Barn Swallow
- Western House-Martin
Leaf Warblers
- Wood Warbler
- Yellow-browed Warbler
- Pallas's Leaf Warbler
- Radde's Warbler
- Willow Warbler
- Common Chiffchaff
Bush Warblers and Allies
- Cetti's Warbler
Long-tailed Tits
- Long-tailed Tit
Sylviid Warblers and Allies
- Eurasian Blackcap
- Garden Warbler
- Barred Warbler
- Eastern Subalpine Warbler
- Greater Whitethroat
Kinglets
- Goldcrest
- Common Firecrest
Treecreepers
- Eurasian Treecreeper
Wrens
- Eurasian Wren
Dippers
- White-throated Dipper
Starlings
- European Starling
- Rosy Starling
Thrushes and Allies
- White's Thrush
- Mistle Thrush
- Song Thrush
- Redwing
- Eurasian Blackbird
- Fieldfare
- Ring Ouzel
Old World Flycatchers
- Spotted Flycatcher
- European Robin
- Common Redstart
- Black Redstart
- Whinchat
- European Stonechat
- Northern Wheatear
Waxwings
- Bohemian Waxwing
Accentors
- Dunnock
Old World Sparrows
- House Sparrow
- Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Wagtails and Pipits
- Gray Wagtail
- Western Yellow Wagtail
- White Wagtail
- Meadow Pipit
- Tree Pipit
- Water Pipit
- Rock Pipit
- American Pipit
Finches, Euphonias, and Allies
- Common Chaffinch
- Brambling
- Hawfinch
- Common Rosefinch
- Eurasian Bullfinch
- European Greenfinch
- Twite
- Eurasian Linnet
- Redpoll
- Red Crossbill
- European Goldfinch
- Eurasian Siskin
Longspurs and Snow Buntings
- Lapland Longspur
- Snow Bunting
Old World Buntings
- Yellowhammer
- Reed Bunting
- Rustic Bunting
New World Sparrows
- White-throated Sparrow
Troupials and Allies
- Baltimore Oriole
Most common birds in Northern Ireland
Ranked by how recently and how widely each was reported to eBird in the 30 days to 2026-10-13, and whether it is one of Northern Ireland’s regular birds. The list follows the seasons: migrants rise in spring and autumn.
- European StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Eurasian JackdawColoeus monedula
- European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- RookCorvus frugilegus
- European RobinErithacus rubecula
- Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- Rock PigeonColumba livia
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Mute SwanCygnus olor
- Eurasian Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- Great TitParus major
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus
- Common BuzzardButeo buteo
- Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus
- Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata
- European ShagGulosus aristotelis
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
Largest bird families in Northern Ireland
Among its regular birds.
- Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl39
- Sandpipers and Allies28
- Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers22
- Finches, Euphonias, and Allies12
- Crows, Jays, and Magpies8
- Wagtails and Pipits8
- Plovers and Lapwings8
- Old World Flycatchers7
Reported in the last 30 days
150 species reported to eBird in Northern Ireland in the 30 days to 2026-10-13. The 40 most recently reported:
European Starling, Great Tit, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Eurasian Blue Tit, European Robin, Hooded Crow, Rook, Coal Tit, Common Buzzard, Great Black-backed Gull, Mallard, Mute Swan, Goldcrest, Rock Pigeon, Little Egret, Black-headed Gull, Great Cormorant, Gray Wagtail, Eurasian Curlew, Eurasian Wren, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Eurasian Skylark, European Herring Gull, European Shag, Common Eider, European Stonechat, Common Gull, White Wagtail, Rock Pipit, Twite, Meadow Pipit, Common Raven, Common Redshank, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Common Ringed Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Common Greenshank, Brant, …
Get to know some of them
Great Cormorant
Mute Swan
Eurasian Blue Tit
Great Tit
Goldcrest
Common Buzzard
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Eurasian Curlew
European Shag
Little Egret
Coal Tit
Eurasian Skylark
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Hooded Crow