List of birds of Ireland
Common name Binomial Irish name
Black-legged kittiwake Rissa tridactyla Saidhbhéar
Ivory gull Pagophila eburnea Faoileán eabhartha
Sabine 's gull Xema sabini Sléibhín Sabine
Bonaparte 's gull Chroicocephalus philadelphia Sléibhín Bonaparte
Black-headed gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus Sléibhín
Little gull Hydrocoloeus minutus Sléibhín beag
Ross 's gull Rhodostethia rosea Faoileán Ross
Laughing gull Leucophaeus atricilla Sléibhín an gháire
Franklin 's gull Leucophaeus pipixcan Sléibhín Franklin
Mediterranean gull Ichthyaetus melanocephalus Sléibhín meánmhuirí
Mew gull Larus canus Faoileán bán
Ring-billed gull Larus delawarensis Faoileán bandghobach
Herring gull Larus argentatus Faoileán scadán
Yellow-legged gull Larus michahellis
Caspian gull Larus cachinnans
Iceland gull Larus glaucoides Faoileán Íoslannach
Lesser black-backed gull Larus fuscus Droimneach beag
Slaty-backed gull Larus schistisagus
Glaucous-winged gull Larus glaucescens Faoileán glas
Glaucous gull Larus hyperboreus Faoileán glas
Gulls , terns , and skimmers
Herring gull , very common resident . Roseate tern , a scarce summer visitor . Order : Charadriiformes Family : Laridae Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds , the gulls , terns , and skimmers . Gulls are typically grey or white , often with black markings on the head or wings . They have stout , longish bills and webbed feet . Terns are a group of generally medium to large seabirds typically with grey or white plumage , often with black markings on the head . Most terns hunt fish by diving but some pick insects off the surface of fresh water . Terns are generally long-lived birds , with several species known to live in excess of 30 years .
This is a list of the bird species recorded in Ireland. The avifauna of Ireland included a total of 478 species as of late 2015 according to the Irish Rare Birds Committee (IRBC). An additional 21 species have been added and three replaced from Bird Checklists of the World. Of these 499 species, 285 are rare or accidental and three have been introduced by humans. One has apparently been extirpated, one is extinct, and one is probably extinct. The list also includes four entries of birds that have been accepted without being identified to species. The list does not include species placed in Category D by the IBRC. These are species where there is doubt as to whether they have occurred in a wild state (Category D1), they have arrived by human assistance such as on board a ship (D2), they have only been recorded dead on the tideline (D3), or they are feral species whose populations may not be self-sustaining (D4). Ireland has a relatively low diversity of breeding birds due to its isolation. Several species such as the tawny owl, Eurasian nuthatch and willow tit which breed in Great Britain have not been recorded. However, there are large colonies of seabirds including important populations of European storm-petrels, northern gannets, and roseate terns. Other notable breeding birds include corn crakes and red-billed choughs.