Ireland's wildlife logo.

Irish Wildlife News

Bumper Corncrake breeding season sees best numbers in 25 years

Corncrake Crex crex

Figures from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) confirm that the red-listed Corncrake has had its most successful Irish breeding season in 25 years with 233 confirmed breeding territories. The 2024 figure represents a 45% increase since 2018.The ground-nesting corncrake is a shy and elusive summer visitor that spends….

Oak Processionary Moth confirmed in Ireland

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine confirmed earlier this week that colonies of the invasive Oak Processionary Moth (Thaumetopoea processionea) had been discovered on four oak trees in a Dublin housing estate. The caterpillars and the trees have been destroyed in an attempt to eradicate the pest before….

World Migratory Bird Day — ESRI Mapping Migration

Swift Migration Ireland

Around 450 different bird species have been recorded on the island of Ireland, and although a lot of them are migratory and rare, now is the best chance to catch a glimpse of them as they return north to build nests and prepare for the breeding season.Esri Ireland, a market….

Avian Influenza hits Irish seabird colonies

Northern Gannet

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI H5N1) has hit Irish seabird colonies this breeding season after running rampant through similar colonies in the UK earlier this year. The disease, which can infect a wide range of bird species, appears to have hit breeding Gannet colonies particularly hard.Gannets, our larges seabird, nest….

Wally the Walrus stops off in West Cork

On the most recent leg of his remarkable journey, Wally the wandering walrus who was first spotted off Valentia Island in Co. Kerry back in March 2021, was seen lounging aboard a moored motorboat in a small cove near Clonakilty on the West Cork coast.Wally, a young male walrus, has….

Rare Marsh Harrier breeds successfully in Ireland again

Marsh Harrier Breeds in Ireland Again

For the first time in more than a century, not one, but two pairs of Marsh Harrier have bred successfully in the Republic of Ireland.The Irish Raptor Study Group (IRSG) confirmed in December that the rare birds of prey successfully reared young at sites in counties Galway and Westmeath during….

Humpback Whale Catalogue breaches 100 animal milestone

Humpback whale off Ireland's Wild South Coast

The Irish Whale And Dolphin Group’s (IWDG) Humpback Whale Catalogue has broken the 100 individual milestone.On the 20 July IWDG researcher Nick Masset photographed two new Humpback Whales off the coast of West Kerry, and HBIRL#100 and HBIRL#101 took their respective places in the photo ID catalogue that documents every….

Irish eagle numbers boosted

Irish White Tailed Eagle Population Boost

Ten new White-tailed Eagle chicks arrived in Ireland from Norway last week to bolster population numbers as Phase II of the ongoing White-tailed Eagle reintroduction programme got underway.The ambitious reintroduction programme, a joint initiative between the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and the Golden Eagle Trust, began with the….

Live White-tailed Eagle Webcam

White-tailed eagle live webcam

Thanks to the National Parks and Wildlife service we can now follow the intrigues and antics of the white-tailed eagle pair nesting in Glengarriff Co. Cork live via their very own nestcam. Part of a reintroduction programme for the species that began in 2007, the adult eagles (male Blue W….

Minister halts plans to allow hedge-cutting in August

Plans for August hedge cutting shelved

Minister for Culture Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan TD has announced that she will not exercise her discretionary powers under the new Heritage Act to allow hedge-cutting to proceed in August this year.“Hedgerows are a very important wildlife habitat, providing food, shelter, corridors of movement, nest and hibernation sites….

Irish Humpback Whale linked to Cape Verde breeding grounds

Humpback Whale match Cape Verde

The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) has announced a positive match between a Humpback Whale photographed at feeding grounds off the Irish south coast in 2015, and an animal photographed at breeding grounds in the Cape Verde Islands off West Africa in April of this year.This is the first….

Video captures essence of Ireland’s wildlife at National Biodiversity Conference

Ireland's Wildlife Video

Ireland is home to some truly phenomenal wildlife. Our position on the western periphery of Europe, perched on the edge of the wild North Atlantic, makes this a truly special place. The essence of Ireland’s natural heritage is encapsulated in this short video, compiled by Crossing The Line Films. It….