Research & Monitoring

BirdWatch Ireland is involved in many research and monitoring projects. These include ongoing and long-term monitoring projects that aim to track how populations of Ireland's birds are faring over time.

Volunteer surveys

Some surveys are annual and require additional help from volunteer members of the public

• Garden Bird Survey
• Spring Alive
• Bird Atlas 2007-2011
• Countryside Bird Survey
• Seabird Monitoring Programme
• Irish Wetland Bird Survey
• BirdTrack

Please click here to see how you can get involved
 

Other species-specific research projects

• Barn Owls
• Baseline Waterbird Monitoring of Coastal Special Protection Areas 
• Breeding Curlew
• Breeding Wader Management
• Corncrakes
• Little Terns at Kilcoole
• Roseate Terns at Rockabill
   

Other research and monitoring projects completed

Some of these are undertaken on a cyclical basis include:

• Bird Atlas, every 20 years, last between 2007 & 2011 recently completed
• Breeding Wader Machair Survey, last in 2008
• Breeding Wader Research, Shannon Callows
• Chough, every 10 years, last in 2002
• Clare Bird Atlas - analysis & development, 2011
• Common Scoter (breeding), last in 1996
• Farmland Bird Survey, 2006 - 2009
• Hen Harrier, every 5 years, last in 2010
• Irish Wildbird Conservancy Project - Ballyhoura, 2011
• Peregrines, every 10 years, last in 2002
• Red Grouse, 2006 - 2008
• Seabirds, every 15 years, last between 1998 and 2002
• Tern Survey, 1984 & 1995
• Upland Bird Survey, 2002 - 2004
• Waterways Bird Survey, 2006 - 2010