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National Bird of Ireland (there is'nt one) (1 Viewer)

birdsgalway

Tom Cuffe
I posted this message on IBN and got some good responses. Which included Lapwing, Raven, Magpie, pheasant, Cuckoo, Crane,White-tailed Sea Eagle, Blackbird and Toucan.B :)
I know some on this forum don't read IBN hence the reason for posting here.
Any thoughts? My favourites so far are Lapwing, Raven or Goldfinch.

IBN message:-
Was asked over the weekend what is the National bird of Ireland. My first response was I don't know. However gave the answer as 'I think it is the Wren but I was not sure and would get back to them after I consulted with some well informed friends’.
I sent a text out to a few locals and the response was that there is no national bird but offered the following as possible.
Snipe
Greenland White-fronted Goose
Barn Owl
Puffin
Wren
Reading through the IBN achieves way back in 1999 the following were mentioned.
Mute Swan
Corncrake
Chough
Roseate Tern
Cassowary
Raven
Puffin
Bittern
Bustard.
Magpie
Hen Harrier
Dipper
Booted Eagle
Jay
Coal Tit
Sooty Shearwater
Turkey

Checked on line and there is no official National bird of Ireland.
European National Birds List
Austria : Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
Belgium : Common Kestrel (falco tinnunculus)
Denmark : Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
Estonia : Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
France : Rooster (Gallus gallus)
Finland : Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus)
Germany : White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)
Hungary : Great Bustard (Otis tarda)
Iceland : Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus)
Latvia : White Wagtail (Motacilla alba)
Lithuania : White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)
Luxembourg : Goldcrest (Regulus regulus)
Malta : Blue Rock Thrush (Monticola solitarius)
Norway : Dipper (Cinclus cinclus)
Poland : White-tailed Sea-eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla)
Romania : White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus)
Sweden : Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula)
United Kingdom : European Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
Rest of the world can be found at this link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_birds
List of official city birds
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_official_city_birds
USA State birds
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._state_birds
India State Birds
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indian_state_birds

How about putting together a list of 10 possible candidates. Some day in the next few weeks/months voting on the 10 birds. Selecting the top 3 and have a further vote.
What boxes should this bird tick?
· representative of the Irish avian fauna
· popular favourite, easily recognisable by the general public. (Maybe not as Publicity campaign might familiarises them with the bird).
· Should be Irish
· Some Historic references
· Should not be associated with other countries or cities (maybe not as Swallow has 2 counties associate with it)
· Have some conservation aspect to raise awareness (If it’s on the brink and we lose the national bird to extinction OMG).
· Maybe it could be a mythical bird (what is the Celtic bird on the coinage from the early decimal days. Other birds on the coins are Woodcock and Hen with chicks)
Any other suggestions or thoughts?
 
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On RTE radio I think about 2 or 3 years ago, Derek Mooney on his Mooney Goes Wild Show, ran a survey to try and find a national bird for Ireland. Dipper came out top,so I think thereon that this our national bird unless anyone else knows differently.
 
Dug a little deeper on the web and came across this link which mentions a birding conference many years ago selecting the LAPWING as Ireland national bird.
Anyone recall this event is it documented?
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/National_bird_of_ireland
Ireland's National Bird is the Lapwing as agreed at a birding conference many years ago. The Lapwing's colours include green white and gold which are the colours on the Irish flag. The lapwing also breeds in Ireland all be it in declining numbers in recent years. It was once known as the Green Plover.
This is also appropriate for Ireland as green is a colour very associated with the country.
 
Hopefully the will adopt twite and raise it's profile a bit. Might save the small remaining population
 
I'd go with the Raven. Is there any other bird so strongly woven into the very fabric of this countries ancient history? Just seeing one transports me back thousands of years. Love 'em! |=)|
 
So many! :) I'd go with either Dipper or Corncrake personally - though if I had to pick an absolute favourite, it'd probably be Chough or Wagtail! ;D

The Corncrake need as much help as they can get, and the Dipper of course is a distinct subspecies here. Of course, so is the Coal Tit and the Jay if I'm not very much mistaken? :)

I go with Dipper! ;D

xx
 
Indeed Zoundz. The Coal Tit, Jay and the Dipper are distinct sub species. I think the jury is still out on whether the Red Grouse is too.

As for our national bird I think I would plumb for Chough. Very celtic.
 
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