Lough Gur is designated as a Wildfowl Sanctuary by the National Parks and Wildlife Service. It is also a proposed National Heritage Area. Lough Gur adopts a Leave No Trace policy to protect all life that lives here.
There is a wide variety of Bird to be seen around Lough Gur. On nature walks please bring suitable clothing and binoculars.
Lough Gur
Grid ref R648412
RES=resident
WIN=winter
SUM=summer
MIG=migratory
Water birds
- Mute swan RES
- Whooper swan. WIN
- Greylag geese RES
- Pink- footed geese [occasional] WIN
- Cormorant RES
- Great crested grebe. RES
- Little grebe. RES
- Black necked grebe (rare) WIN
- Moorhen. RES
- Coot. RES
- Mallard. RES
- Wigeon. WIN
- Teal. WIN.[ a few stay and breed]
- Shoveller. WIN. [a few stay and breed]
- Gadwall. WIN
- Pochard. WIN
- Goldeneye WIN
- Shelduck WIN
- Tufted duck. RES
- Ruddy duck [occasional] WIN
- Ring neck duck [rare]. WIN
- Pintail [occasional]. WIN
- Grey heron. RES
- Little egret. WIN
Birds of Prey
- Barn Owl. RES
- Hen harrier. WIN
- Merlin. RES
- Kestrel. RES
- Peregrine. RES
- Sparrow hawk. RES
- Long eared owl. RES.
Waders
- Lapwing. WIN
- Golden plover. WIN
- Curlew. WIN
- Redshank. WIN
- Common sandpiper. SUM
Gulls
- Whimbrel. MIG
- Dunlin. WIN
- Snipe. RES
- Gulls.
- Black headed. RES
- Lesser- black back. WIN
Songbirds
- Wood pigeon. RES
- Collared dove. RES
- Pheasant. RES
- Kingfisher. RES
- Swallow. SUM
- Swift. SUM
- House sparrow. RES
- Reed bunting. RES
- House martin. SUM
- Sand martin. SUM
- Skylark. RES
- Meadow pipit. RES
- Dunnock. RES
- Pied wagtail. RES
- Grey wagtail. RES
- Wren. RES
- Sedge warbler. SUM
- Whitethroat SUM
- Willow warbler. SUM
- Chiffchaff. SUM
- Blackcap SUM/WIN
- Stone chat. RES
- Spotted flycatcher. SUM
- Robin. RES
- Fieldfare. WIN
- Blackbird. RES
- Redwing. WIN
- Mistle thrush. RES
- Song thrush. RES
- Starling. RES
- Long tail tit. RES
- Blue tit. RES
- Great tit. RES
- Coal tit. RES
- Treecreeper. RES
- Gold crest. RES
- Chaffinch. RES
- Goldfinch. RES
- Greenfinch.RES
- Bullfinch. RES
- Redpoll. WIN
- Siskin. WIN
Crows
- Hooded crow. RES
- Jackdaw. RES
- Raven. RES
- Magpie. RES
- Rook. RES
Dragonfly
- Common blue damselfly.
- Blue tail damselfly
- Large red damselfly
- Azure damselfly
- Emerald damselfly
- Common darter.
- Four spot chaser
- Hairy dragonfly.
- Brown hawker
- Autumn hawker
Butterfly
- Small white
- Large white
- Green vein white.
- Orange tip.
- Common blue
- Peacock
- Red admiral.
- Painted lady.
- Small tortoiseshell.
- Meadow brown
- Ringlet.
- Speckled wood
If anyone sees a bird not on this list, they can contact Geoffrey Hunt who keep records of birds for sites in County Limerick.
Contact: Geoffrey Hunt
Phone: + 353 087 765 6439
Click here to go to Ballyhoura Website
Email: info@ballyhoura.org