| Sighting Ref : |
IB223012 |
| Sighting Date : |
12 Apr 26 |
| Common Name : |
Chough |
| Scientific Name : |
Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax |
| Location : |
Howth Peninsula |
| County : |
Dublin |
| Number Seen : |
3 |
| Principal Observer(s) : |
Neil Molloy
Not Specified
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| Reported By : |
Not Specified
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| Comments : |
09:00 Doldrum Bay. Flew South towards Sutton Creek. Mobile. 11:15 Along the grass slope looking North from the Bailey Lighthouse (AGK). The history of Chough in Dublin:
Went extinct as a breeder in Dublin in 1852 (Lambay Island was the last noted breeding location).
Seemingly was a localised / rare bird in the county even back then due to limited habitat availability.
A few sporadic sightings since then included one at Howth Head in January 1982 (many observers) and one flying past Donabate on 22nd May 2011 (Cole Macey).
Two were then seen around the Drumanagh Martello tower area on 24th Oct 2023 (Ronan Toomey).
A pair of Chough seen along the cliffs at Lambay Island in June 2024 (during seabird surveys - many observers) may have been the same two seen at Drumanagh, 24th Oct 2023.
The Lambay pair remained into 2025 and bred successfully, raising three juveniles (the first recorded breeding in the county since 1852!).
(Note that Lambay Island is private - access to the public via guided tours only).
It’s entirely possible that the three on Howth Head today might be the three young from Lambay 2025 now on the move.
Good quality pics would be useful to help figure out the age of the Howth birds. Niall T. Keogh.
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| Photos : |
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| Photographer(s) : |
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