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Bog bird book
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Greenland White-fronted Goose The Greenland white-fronted goose is a brown bird with |
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Kestrel Falco tinnunculus Pocaire Gaoithe This bird of prey has a longish tail and long pointed wings. It has a blue/grey head and the tail is spotted black, the rest of the bird is light brown in colour. It feeds on other birds, small mammals and some insects. It searches for its prey by flying with its head pointing towards the wind and matching its wing speed to the wind speed so that it hovers. When prey is found it swoops down to catch its prize. It breeds between April and mid June with one brood and usually 4-6 eggs. The young are fed by both parents in the nest. |
| Merlin Falco columbarius Meirliún The Merlin is a bird of prey. It has a dark brown streaked tail and the rest of the bird is brown with creamy streaks. When hunting it will perch on hummocks, walls, rocks and fences. The Merlin nests on the bog surface between May and July. It has one brood with 3-5 eggs. It feeds mainly on small birds, the meadow pipit is one of its favourites. Studies have shown that the Merlin population is linked to that of the meadow pipits, its main food source. |
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Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis Riabhóg Mhóna This bird is very common on the bog. You can hear its constant song even if you cannot see it. This small brown bird feeds on worms, insects and some seeds. It nests on moss hummocks between April and June with 2 broods and 4-5 brown eggs in each brood. The meadow pipit parachutes out of the sky to the ground. |
| Skylark Alauda arvensis Fuiseog In the summer on the bog the skylark can be seen hovering high in the air and singing. This is to establish a territory for breeding. This brown bird has a longish tail and pointed wings. It has a stout head with a prominent crest. It nests between April and August and has 2-3 broods with 3-5 eggs in each brood. It feeds on seeds, weeds, worms and some insects. |
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Snipe Gallinago gallinago Naoscach The snipe has a very long bill. It has black and brown plumage with cream white stripes on its head and back. If the snipe is disturbed it will call out and fly off in a zig zag pattern. It nests on wet hollows on the bog between April and June and lays 4 eggs. It feeds on seeds, worms and insects. |
| Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria Feadóg Bhuí The golden plover is a small bird with black and white under parts and its upper body is coloured with gold speckles. It nests in heather or bog hummocks. It breeds between April and June with one brood containing 3-4 eggs. It feeds on insects, worms and plants. The breeding grounds are deserted between September and February when the birds migrate to different parts of Europe to over winter. |
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Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus Seabhac Seilge The peregrine is bird of prey, very similar to the Kestrel and Merlin in shape but with a slightly tapered tail and pointed broad based wings. It has a white under side and a dark brown upper body. When hunting it will sometimes perch but it will also fly very high and scan its area and hang on air updrafts, it will then swoop down on its prey. It feeds on smaller birds. It breeds between April and June with one brood containing 3-4 eggs. |
| The Grey Heron Ardea cinerea Corr Réisc The grey heron is one of Ireland's largest birds. It has a yellow bill and a long neck. This bird is ash grey in colour with a white head and a black crest over the eye. It has yellow legs. The heron breeds between February and August and nests in colonies in the top of high trees, with 1-2 broods and 3-5 eggs in a brood. It catches its prey of fish, insects, frogs, small birds and even rodents by spearing them with its bill and then very skillfully eating them. It can be found near almost any un-polluted water site. When flying its wings beat long, deep and make s-shaped movements. During flight its neck tucked back into the body and the legs trail behind. |
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Red Grouse Lagopus lagopus Cearc Fhraoigh The red grouse is a plump bird, it has a stout bill with a small head and a stripe of red above the eyes. The female has a brown body with black barring the male is much darker. It is found on blanket and raised bogs, the heather provides food an shelter for the bird. Young heather shoots are its favourite food. It will nest in heather bushes between April and June producing one brood containing 5-9 eggs. On the bog you find brown pellets, red grouse droppings more often than the bird. |
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Curlew The curlew is easily identified with its distinctive cry and long curved bill. It has grey brown coloured plumage and a white underside. It feeds on insects, berries and seeds, but with its long bill it will also feed on small bog pool creatures. It nests on the bog between April and June and lays 4 eggs and only one brood. |
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