LITTLE EGRET (Egretta garzetta) adult in breeding plumage Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

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The Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) is of family Ardeidae which includes Bitterns, Egrets as well as Herons and is in the genus Egretta . It is found in the temperate parts of Eurasia and Africa as well as Australia and New Zealand. Over the last 60 years or so this species has greatly expanded its range including recolonising its former breeding areas in Northern Europe, as well as Ireland. It first bred in the Caribbean in the mid 1990’s and is increasingly being recorded along the North American eastern seaboard.

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

EURASIAN COLLARED DOVE (Streptopelia decaocto) Skerries Mills, Skerries, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

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The Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) is of the family Columbidae which is in the genus Streptopelia.

Over the last 150 years or so this dispersive species has greatly expanded its original range which stretched from Turkey eastwards to southern China and the Indian sub-continent. The first record for Europe was from Bulgaria in 1838 and by the end of the 20th century it had colonised the rest of Europe with the exception of Iceland but including the Canary Islands as well as the North African and parts of the Middle East. First record for Britain was in 1952 followed by the first for Ireland in 1958.   

To the east of its original range, it has also spread northeast to most of central and northern China as well as Japan. 

In 1974, less than 50 escaped from captivity in the Bahama Islands and from there it spread to Florida. It is now found in nearly every state in the USA, as well as in Mexico. 
 

Patrick J, O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

WOOD PIGEON (Columba palumbus) Skerries Mills, Skerries, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 

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The Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus) is of the family Columbidae which is in the genus Columba.

YELLOWHAMMER (Emberiza citrinella) male, Turvey Nature Reserve, Donabate, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

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 The Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) is of the bunting family Emberizidae which is in the genus Emberiza.

COMMON BUZZARD (Buteo buteo) Turvey Nature Reserve, Donabate, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

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 The Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a medium sized bird of prey of the family Accipitridae which is in the genus Buteo.

YELLOWHAMMER (Emberiza citrinella) male, Turvey Nature Reserve, Donabate, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

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 The Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) is of the bunting family Emberizidae which is in the genus Emberiza.

EURASIAN BLACKCAP (Sylvia atricapilla) a minimum of ten males in song today, Turvey Nature Reserve, Donabate, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 

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 The Eurasian Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) or more simply known as a Blackcap s of the family Sylviidae which is in the genus Sylvia.

SIBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF (Phylloscopus collybita subspecies P. c. tristis) on 06-04-2021 at The Mill Pond, Skerries Mills, Skerries, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 

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 The Siberian Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita tristis) is of the family Phylloscopidae which is in the genus Phylloscopus.  

This small insectivorous species of leaf warbler is a summer resident from mid March to October which breeds in the northern and temperate regions of Eurasia. In the autumn it migrates south to spend the winter in the Mediterranean Basin, sub Saharan Africa and southwestern Asia. Small numbers also overwinter in northwest Europe.  

There are several subspecies recognised including, Common Chiffchaff (P. c. collybita), Scandinavian Chiffchaff (P. c. abietinus) and Siberian Chiffchaff (P. c. tristis).   

 

  Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

MEADOW PIPIT (Anthus pratensis) Turvey Nature Reserve, Donabate, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

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The Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis) is of the family Motacillidae which is in the genus Anthus.

YELLOWHAMMER (Emberiza citrinella) male, Turvey Nature Reserve, Donabate, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 

 

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 The Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) is of the bunting family Emberizidae which is in the genus Emberiza.

MALLARD (Anas platyrhynchos) pair, Turvey Nature Reserve, Donabate, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 

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 The Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) is a dabbling duck of the family Anatidae which is in the genus Anas.

COMMON BUZZARD (Buteo buteo) Turvey Nature Reserve, Donabate, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

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 The Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a medium sized bird of prey of the family Accipitridae which is in the genus Buteo.

LITTLE EGRET (Egretta garzetta) Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 

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The Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) is a member of the heron family Ardeidae which includes Bitterns, Egrets and Herons. It is found in the temperate parts of Eurasia and Africa as well as Australia and New Zealand. Over the last 60 years or so this species has greatly expanded its range including recolonising its former breeding areas in Northern Europe, as well as Ireland. It first bred in the Caribbean in the mid 1990’s and is increasingly being recorded along the North American eastern seaboard.

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

COMMON REDPOLL (Acanthis flammea subspecies A. f. caberet) male, Turvey Nature Reserve, Donabate, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 

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 The Common Redpoll (Acanthis flammea) or more simply known as a Redpoll is of the finch family Fringillidae which is in the genus Acanthis. 

 There are several subspecies recognised including the Lesser Redpoll (Acanthis flammea caberet) which is resident in Ireland and Britain. It also breeds in Central Europe and Southern Scandinavia where it is a partial migrant, which moves south and west to more temperate regions for the winter.

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

EURASIAN SISKIN (Spinus spinus) male at Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Fingal, Dublin, Ireland

 

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 The Eurasian Siskin (Spinus spinus) is of the family Fringillidae which is in the genus Spinus.

Eurasian Siskin (Spinus spinus) distribution map

Breeding                   Resident                    Non breeding - winter
 

SanoAK: Alexander Kürthy, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

EURASIAN SISKIN (Spinus spinus) female at Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Fingal, Dublin, Ireland

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 The Eurasian Siskin (Spinus spinus) is of the family Fringillidae which is in the genus Spinus.

Eurasian Siskin (Spinus spinus) distribution map

Breeding                   Resident                    Non breeding - winter
 

SanoAK: Alexander Kürthy, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

EURASIAN SISKIN (Spinus spinus) female drinking from a water butt at Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Fingal, Dublin, Ireland

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 The Eurasian Siskin (Spinus spinus) is of the family Fringillidae which is in the genus Spinus.

Eurasian Siskin (Spinus spinus) distribution map

Breeding                   Resident                    Non breeding - winter
 

SanoAK: Alexander Kürthy, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

BROWN BOOBY (Sula leucogaster) Greystones South Beech, Greystones, Co. Wicklow, Ireland

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The Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) is of the family Sulidae which is in the genus Sula. This large seabird has a pan-tropical range and very rarely occurs in North East Atlantic waters.

Found on 13th July 2020, this is the third Irish record but unfortunately had to be taken into care today (14th July) when its condition deteriorated. There are two previous Irish records, a tideline corpse in Co. Cork on 2nd January 2016 and one seen from a fishing trawler off Co. Kerry on 13th and 14th August also in 2016. 

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Four subspecies are recognised; map showing the world distribution

     Sula leucogaster plotus     Sula leucogaster nominate     Sula leucogaster etesiaca     Sula leucogaster brewsteri

Reference:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_booby

EUROPEAN GREENFINCH [Male] (Carduelis chloris) Gile's Quay, Cooley Peninsula, Co. Louth

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The European Greenfinch (Chloris chloris) is a small passerine of the finch family Fringillidae which is in the genus Chlori. It has a widespread distribution in Europe, northern Africa and southwestern Asia. It  also occurs as an introduced species in parts of Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and Uruguay. Before the onset of winter, northern populations migrate to the more temperate areas of its range. In recent times, there has been a dramatic decline in numbers due to the spread of trichomonosis disease that effects the digestive system which results in mortality.

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds