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Monday 4 December 2023 Dublin: 2°C

# Birds

This year
2023
Puffins leaving Skellig Michael a few days early 'not a cause for concern'
The National Parks and Wildlife Service said it does not yet know the reason for the earlier departure.
Tracking project aims to solve mystery of where Irish cuckoos migrate to in winter months
The project will satellite track the migration routes of four Irish cuckoos in an attempt to understand habitat pressures.
150 years after they became extinct in Ireland, ospreys to be reintroduced this summer
Ospreys are a fish-eating bird of prey that went extinct in Ireland 150 years ago but are being reintroduced with the assistance of Norway.
Osprey birds expected to be reintroduced to Irish skies this summer
The osprey has a wing span of between five and six feet.
Public reminded not to cut hedges from today to protect nesting birds
The annual summer ban comes into force comes into force today until the end of August.
Last year
2022
Fossil ‘overturns more than a century of knowledge about origin of modern birds’
Each of the roughly 11,000 species of birds on Earth today is classified into one of two groups, based on the arrangement of their palate bones.
BirdWatch Ireland calls for reports of invasive parrot species after sightings in Dublin park
The birds have been spotted in Griffith Park in Drumcondra.
Flamingos and penguins among birds taken inside at Dublin Zoo, Fota Wildlife and Belfast Zoo
Three outbreaks of bird flu have been detected in the past three months in Ireland.
All time
Northern Ireland experiencing ‘largest ever’ avian flu outbreak
Some 14,000 in Armagh and 22,000 in Tyrone were humanely culled to control the outbreak.
Plastic found in thousands of seabird nests across Europe 'poses a threat'
Researchers examined 10,274 nests across the Northern Europe – with 12% of them found to contain plastic debris.
Why are seagulls so loud right now - and can anything be done about it?
You might have noticed some squawking from very early in the morning. Here’s why it’s happening.
Quiz: How much do you know about cuckoos and vultures?
Don’t get in a flap about this.
Quiz: How much do you know about swallows?
A sign that summer is almost here.
Almost 50% increase in Irish birds on endangered list following 'alarming' population declines
One in four birds is now on the so-called red list.
Australia plans to kill pigeon that crossed Pacific from the US
The pigeon arrived at the garden of Kevin Celli-Bird, who says he has no interest in birds “apart from my last name”.
Foxes and crows may need to be culled to protect ground-nesting birds, study suggests
The Eurasian Curlew is one of the birds at risk in Ireland as three-quarters of ground-nesting bird species face a decline in numbers around Europe.
Conservationists slam 'horrific and illegal' mass poisoning of buzzards in Co Cork
BirdWatch Ireland said that 23 dead buzzards were recovered near Timoleague last December.
Extract: 'Birds are vessels for a lasting happiness that can be hard to find in other avenues of life'
I’ve seen species from my bedroom window that I haven’t seen anywhere else, writes Conor W. O’Brien in an extract from his book.
Nesting boxes for swifts being installed at revamped Leinster House
Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said the boxes will help protect the threatened species of bird.
Climate change happening faster than many animals can adapt, study finds
Meanwhile, Health Minister Simon Harris has launched a public consultation on the impact of climate change on the health sector.
Quiz: Native Irish bird species are in decline - test your knowledge on them before they disappear
Can you tell your curlews from your corncrakes?
Irish bird numbers 'dramatically' declining with some species facing extinction
The warning comes from BirdWatch Ireland, with agriculture and climate change blamed.
This deserted island is up for grabs at €1.25m - and some people think the government should buy it
Madigan says it would require ‘considerable resource commitments’ to buy the island off the coast of Galway.
This little brown duck was once thought to be extinct - now, its been released back into the wild
Meet the Madagascar pochard.
Gannets on Little Skellig are using plastic to build their nests
Use of plastic by the 70,000 or so gannets in the colony has “become obvious”.
These are the best places in the world to go birdwatching
From South Africa to Ecuador.
Appeal for help after a dozen exotic birds escaped Dublin aviary during Storm Emma
It is understood that about 12 birds escaped the enclosure.
Birds may learn new songs in similar way to how children learn new language
Their strategy also resembles methods used in computer linguistics to compare documents.
'Ireland makes headlines in Norway when a white-tailed eagle is killed here'
The Norwegian government donated 15 white-tailed eagles to Ireland in 2007, in an attempt to reintroduce the species here.
Endangered bird found dead with gunshot wounds in Co Down
Conservationists are calling it a “deliberate” attack.
Australia: Plane makes emergency landing after flock of birds sucked into its engine
Passengers reported seeing sparks coming from one the plane’s engines.
Shape of bird eggs related to their ability to fly - study
It goes against theories that eggs are shaped to suit their environment; eg, to stop them rolling off a cliff face.
7,000 year old penguin poo reveals volcanic eruptions almost wiped out Antarctic sea bird colony
The changes in penguin populations had been linked to climate change.
New plan to stop extinction of corncrake in Ireland
The bird used to be widespread in Ireland but is now only found along the north coast of Donegal and in the west of Mayo and Connemara.
All birds at Dublin Zoo have been moved indoors over flu threat
The measure was taken to prevent birds from contracting bird flu from wild birds.
Poultry owners warned to keep their birds indoors
It’s a precautionary measure after outbreaks of bird flu in the UK.
Peregrine falcon found dead at Dalkey Quarry
The quarry was the site of an attempted poisoning of some falcons in 2014.
Wealthy hunters are giving thousands of killed birds to food banks in Britain
Donating the meat is aimed at improving the image of grouse hunting.
What happens when an eagle spots a drone? There's only one winner
It’s the bird, in case you couldn’t guess.
QUIZ: Did these seagull attack stories actually happen?
How prepared are you for a gull attack? Let’s find out.