Our Ornithologists are located nationwide and know all the best birding spots in the land! Along with our dedicated GIS and Digital team, we have created a list of some of our ornithologists’ favourite locations to go bird-watching in every county over the winter season to see resident and migrant winter species. Peak numbers tend to occur through December and January, so the Christmas season is a perfect time to grab your binoculars and enjoy some birding!
| County | Location | This location is good for spotting… |
| Carlow | Oak Park Forest Park, Carlow Town | Small Passerines and some waterbirds. Doubles up as an arboretum. |
| Cavan | Killykeen Forest Park | Waterbirds |
| Clare | Loop Head | Seabirds |
| Clare | Mount Shannon | Good chance of seeing White-Tailed Eagles |
| Cork | Rosscarbery | Waders, Ducks, Geese and Swans at low tide |
| Cork | Cork Harbour (walkway from Rochestown to Blackrock Castle) | Waders, Ducks, Geese, Swans, Gulls and Kingfisher at low tide |
| Cork | The Gearagh | Ducks, Geese, Swans and Songbirds |
| Donegal | Malin Head | Wintering Barnacle Geese |
| Dublin | Bull Island | Waterbirds in general, including Red-Breasted Merganser, Pintail, Shelduck and much more. Kingfisher can be seen where the Santry River enters the mudflats, with Peregrine often hunting nearby. |
| Dublin | Phoenix Park | Raptors like Buzzard, Long-eared Owl, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel, with various ponds in the park good for Gulls, Heron, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Moorhen, Coot and Mute Swan with water rail seen infrequently. Great for Treecreepers! Lots of Badger activity in the park as well. |
| Dublin | Howth Cliff Walk | Gulls, Divers, Cormorant, Shag, Common and Black Guillemot, Razorbill as well as Harbour Porpoise, Grey and Common Seals. |
| Galway | Belclare Turlough (there is a hide build east of the Turlough) | All Winter Wildfowl, with Wigeon and Teal in large numbers, some Greenland White-Fronted Geese, Lapwing and Curlew. |
| Kerry | Tralee Bay | Waders, Wildfowl and Gulls |
| Kildare | Pollardstown Fen | Waterbirds |
| Laois | Shanahoe Wetlands | Pintailed Ducks and Egrets |
| Leitrim | Lough Errill | Goldeneye |
| Limerick | Westfields Welands | Ducks such as Gadwall, Pochard, Teal and Tufted Duck |
| Longford | Lough Gowna | Great Crested Grebe |
| Louth | Oscar Merne Memorial Bird Hide at Lurgangreen | Waders and Merlin |
| Mayo | Killala Bay (Parking and Viewing point from car park on Steeple Hill) | Brent Geese, Wigeon, Red-Breasted Merganser, Shelduck and Teal |
| Meath | Mornington | Gulls and Waders |
| Monaghan | Dromore Lakes | Wildfowl and Waterbirds including Goldeneye and Lapwing |
| Offaly | Lough Boora Discovery Park | Hen Harrier, Merlin, Whooper Swan, Golden Plover, Lapwing and curlew. |
| Roscommon | Lough Ree | Tufted Duck, Great Crested Grebe, Whooper Swan and large murmuration’s of Starlings |
| Sligo | Ballygilgan (Lissadell) Nature Reserve. (Locally known as The Goose Field) | Famed for Barnacle Geese and a wide variety of Ducks and Waders, including Golden Plover, Teal, Wigeon and Bar Tailed Godwit |
| Sligo | Aughris Head | Cormorant, Gannet, Redshank, Eider Duck, Sanderling, Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, Sparrowhawk and Pergerine |
| Sligo | Streamstown | Brent Geese, Curlew, Egret, Oystercatcher, Sanderling, Teal and possibly White-Tailed Eagle |
| Tipperary | River Little Brosna Callows | Whooper Swans, Black-Tailed Godwit, Golden Plover, Teal, Greenland White-Fronted Goose, Wigeon, Shoveler, Pintail and Lapwing |
| Waterford | Cunnigar Sandspit | Geese and Seabirds |
| Westmeath | Burgess Park, Athlone | Whooper Swans, Lapwing, Wigeon, Teal and Golden Plover |
| Wexford | Tacumshin Lake | Waterbirds and other highlights such as Marsh Harrier, Short-Eared Owl, Bearded Reedling and Glossy Ibis |
| Wicklow | Glendalough | Goosander on the Glendasan River north from the visitor centre and the stream by the upper lake carpark. Dipper also found on the Glendasan River. Red Kite frequent in the area, with great-spotted woodpecker present too. |
| Wicklow | Avoca | Go an hour before sunset to see ~100+ Red Kites circling just a few metres above the village before going to roost, also keep an eye on the river for Goosander |