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What to report?

This can sometimes be difficult to decide, but a rough guide is provided below, by species, to the types of records most worth reporting to the Waterford Birds website. The short answer is: all records of scarcer or more elusive species, high counts or out-of-season records of  commoner species, and various other categories (or your best judgement) in between...
 
Not all records will be posted to the website, but a more detailed database of records is maintained 'behind the scenes'. Availability of more detailed records allows for fuller documentation of the status of each species locally (in maps, graphs or text), even if individual records are not always posted online. Extra details can also help with conservation planning or site-protection, but full details of the most sensitive species such as birds of prey (particularly breeding locations) will be kept offline.
 
Longer lists of records are best sent in spreadsheet format, but all formats (including email or texts or via relevant WhatsApp groups) are acceptable. Also, if you enter records using the online BirdTrack system, your records will be available to the relevant county bird recorder (so most records need only be entered once) - but if entering records to BirdTrack, ideally also text or email the more interesting records.
 
For sightings of rarer species, in particular, a quick message or tweet (to @watbirds on Twitter/X) at the time will help ensure that other local birders get a chance to catch up with the species involved. An email that night or next day is sometimes too late...
 
 
If a species isn't listed below - definitely report it! (including escapees).  Likewise if in doubt about whether a particular record is worth reporting or not, it might be worth reporting just in case - especially since the guidelines below may not cover all eventualities (and may be modified or updated over time).  Added 28/1/2013, minor updates 17/01/2024

Species / subspecies Suggested categories of 'reportable' records Website?

Alpine Swift all (IRBC rarity) all
American Bittern all (IRBC rarity) all
American Golden Plover all (IRBC rarity) all
American Herring Gull all (IRBC rarity) all
Arctic Skua all all
Arctic Tern all all
Avocet all (IRBC rarity) all
Baillon's Crake all (IRBC rarity) all
Baird's Sandpiper all (IRBC rarity) all
Balearic Shearwater all all
Barn Owl all all
Barnacle Goose all all
Barred Warbler  all (IRBC rarity) all
Bar-tailed Godwit complete counts of specific wetlands, counts or totals 500+ counts 500+
Bean Goose all (IRBC rarity) all
Bee-eater all (IRBC rarity) all
Bewick's Swan all all
Bittern all (IRBC rarity) all
Black Brant all (IRBC rarity) all
Black Guillemot all records counts 10+
Black Redstart all all
Black Tern all all
Blackbird counts 50+ or apparent coastal 'falls' usually not
Blackcap all Nov-Mar records, coastal migrants, breeding-habitat counts 10+ birds all Nov-Mar records, coastal migrants, counts 10+
Black-headed Gull counts 500+ counts 1000+
Black-necked Grebe all all
Blackpoll Warbler all (IRBC rarity) all
Black-tailed Godwit complete counts of specific wetlands, counts or totals 300+, records away from main sites counts 1000+
Black-throated Diver all all
Black-winged Stilt all (IRBC rarity) all
Blue Tit counts 20+ usually not
Blue/dark-phase Fulmar all all
Bluethroat all (IRBC rarity) all
Blue-winged Teal all (IRBC rarity) all
Blyth's Reed Warbler all (IRBC rarity) all
Bonaparte's Gull all (IRBC rarity) all
Booted Warbler all (IRBC rarity) all
Brambling all all records
Brent Goose complete counts of specific wetlands, counts 400+, May-Sept high counts, June-Aug, early/late migrants
Buff-bellied Pipit all (IRBC rarity) all
Buff-breasted Sandpiper all all
Bullfinch totals 10+ totals 20+
Buzzard all all records (but site details may be vague)
Canada Goose all all
Carrion Crow all all
Caspian Gull all (IRBC rarity) all
Cattle Egret all (IRBC rarity) all
Chaffinch totals 50+ totals 200+
Chiffchaff counts 10+, apparent coastal migrants, pre-April or post-Oct counts 20+, smaller counts of coastal migrants, early/late, winter
Chimney Swift all (IRBC rarity) all

Chough confirmed breeding records, counts 10+, inland counts 20+, inland
Citrine Wagtail all (IRBC rarity) all
Coal Tit counts 10+ counts 20+
Collared Dove counts 10+ counts 20+
Common Crossbill all all
Common Gull counts 100+ counts 500+
Common Rosefinch all (IRBC rarity) all
Common Sandpiper all all
Common Scoter all all
Common Tern timed seawatches, counts 5+, Mar-Apr counts 10+
Coot confirmed breeding records, counts 10+, coastal records counts 20+
Cormorant breeding counts, counts or totals 50+ counts 100+
Corn Bunting all (IRBC rarity) all
Corncrake all all records (but site details may be vague)
Cory's Shearwater all all
Crane all (IRBC rarity) all
Cuckoo all all
Curlew breeding-habitat records, complete counts of specific wetlands, counts or totals 500+ counts 1000+
Curlew Sandpiper all all
Dark-bellied Brent Goose all all
Desert Wheatear all (IRBC rarity) all
Dipper all all
Dotterel all (IRBC rarity) all
Dunlin complete counts of specific wetlands, counts or totals 500+, inland high counts
Dunnock usually not usually not
Eider all all
Fea's/Zino's Petrel all (IRBC rarity) all
Fieldfare counts 100+, Apr-Oct counts 200+
Firecrest all all
Forster's Tern all (IRBC rarity) all
Fulmar breeding counts, timed seawatches, counts or totals 100+ counts or totals 100+
Gadwall all all
Gannet timed seawatches, counts or totals 200+ counts or totals 200+
Garden Warbler all all
Garganey all all
Glaucous Gull all all
Glossy Ibis all (IRBC rarity) all
Goldcrest counts 10+, coastal migrants counts 10+ (migrants)
Golden Eagle all all records (but site details may be vague)
Golden Oriole all (IRBC rarity) all
Golden Plover breeding-habitat records, complete counts of specific wetlands, counts or totals 500+, May-June counts 3000+
Goldeneye complete counts of specific wetlands, counts 5+ high counts
Goldfinch totals 50+ totals 100+
Goosander all all
Goshawk all (IRBC rarity) all records (but site details may be vague)
Grasshopper Warbler all all
Great Auk extinct!  
Great Black-backed Gull counts 100+ counts 200+
Great Crested Grebe confirmed breeding records, counts or totals 10+ (main sites), smaller counts (inland or new sites) counts 20+
Great Grey Shrike all (IRBC rarity) all

Great Northern Diver all timed seawatches, counts 3+, inland, May-Sept
Great Shearwater all all
Great Skua all all
Great Spotted Woodpecker all all
Great Tit counts 20+ usually not
Great White Egret all (IRBC rarity) all
Green Sandpiper all all
Greenfinch counts 50+ totals 100+
Greenish Warbler  all (IRBC rarity) all
Greenland/Iceland Redpoll all (IRBC rarity) all
Greenshank complete counts of specific wetlands, counts or totals 10+, inland counts 20+, inland
Green-winged Teal all all
Grey Heron confirmed breeding records, counts or totals 10+ high counts
Grey Partridge all all
Grey Phalarope all all
Grey Plover complete counts of specific wetlands, counts or totals 50+, inland counts 100+, inland
Grey Wagtail confirmed breeding, counts 5+ counts10+
Greylag Goose all counts 10+, non-regular sites
Guillemot breeding counts, timed seawatches, counts 50+ counts 100+
Gull-billed Tern all (IRBC rarity) all
Gyr Falcon all (IRBC rarity) all
Hawfinch all (IRBC rarity) all
Hen Harrier all all records (but site details may be vague)
Herring Gull counts 100+, breeding counts counts 200+
Hobby all (IRBC rarity) all
Honey Buzzard all (IRBC rarity) all
Hooded Crow counts 20+ counts 50+
Hoopoe all all
House Martin colony counts, counts 20+, records before mid-April or after mid-October, timed passage counts 50+, early/late
House Sparrow counts 20+ counts 100+
Iberian Chiffchaff all (IRBC rarity) all
Iceland Gull all all
Icterine Warbler all (IRBC rarity) all
Ivory Gull all (IRBC rarity) all
Jack Snipe all all
Jackdaw roost counts, totals 500+ usually not
Jay all all
Kestrel confirmed breeding records, other records if available usually not
Kingfisher all all
Kittiwake breeding counts, timed seawatches, counts 200+ counts 500+
Knot complete counts of specific wetlands, counts or totals 50+, inland counts 100+
Lapland Bunting all all
Lapwing breeding-habitat records, complete counts of specific wetlands, counts or totals 1000+ counts 3000+
Leach's Petrel all all
Lesser Black-backed Gull counts 50+, cinfirmed breeding (last confirmed 1983!) counts 200+
Lesser Grey Shrike all (IRBC rarity) all
Lesser Scaup all (IRBC rarity) all
Lesser Whitethroat all all
Lesser Yellowlegs all (IRBC rarity) all
Linnet counts 100+ counts 400+

Little Auk all all
Little Bittern all (IRBC rarity) all
Little Egret confirmed breeding records, counts or totals 10+ counts 20+
Little Grebe confirmed breeding records, counts or totals 10+ counts 20+
Little Gull all all
Little Ringed Plover all (IRBC rarity) all
Little Stint all all
Little Tern all all
Long-billed Dowitcher all (IRBC rarity) all
Long-eared Owl all all
Long-tailed Duck all all
Long-tailed Skua all all
Long-tailed Tit counts 10+ counts 20+
Magpie counts 20+ usually not
Mallard complete counts of specific wetlands, counts 100+ high counts
Manx Shearwater timed counts, flocks/totals 100+, Nov-Feb higher totals, all Nov-Feb
Marsh Harrier all all
Meadow Pipit totals 50+ totals 100+
Mealy Redpoll all (IRBC rarity) all
Mediterranean Gull all all
Melodious Warbler all (IRBC rarity) all
Merlin all all
Mistle Thrush counts 10+ counts 20+
Montagu's Harrier all (IRBC rarity) all
Moorhen confirmed breeding records, counts 10+ counts 20+
Mute Swan complete counts of specific wetlands, counts 20+ counts 50+
Night Heron all (IRBC rarity) all
Nightjar all all (but site details may be vague)
Northern Parula all (IRBC rarity) all
Northern Willow Warbler all all
Northern/Eastern Chiffchaff all all
Osprey all all records (but site details may be vague)
Oystercatcher confirmed breeding records, complete counts of specific wetlands, counts 400+, May-Sept, inland counts 1000+
Pallas's Warbler all (IRBC rarity) all
Pectoral Sandpiper all all
Peregrine confirmed breeding records, other records if available usually not
Pheasant counts 50+ usually not
Pied Flycatcher all all
Pied Wagtail roost counts, totals 20+ roost counts, totals 50+
Pink-footed Goose all all
Pintail all all
Pochard all all records (or counts 10+ in good winters)
Pomarine Skua all all
Puffin all all
Purple Heron all (IRBC rarity) all
Purple Sandpiper all all
Quail all all
Radde's Warbler all (IRBC rarity) all
Raven confirmed breeding records, counts 5+ counts 10+
Razorbill breeding counts, timed seawatches, counts 50+ counts 100+

Red Grouse all all records (but site details may be vague)
Red Kite all all records (but site details may be vague)
Red-backed Shrike all (IRBC rarity) all
Red-breasted Flycatcher all all
Red-breasted Merganser complete counts of specific wetlands, counts 20+ (Dungarvan), 10+ (other coastal), inland high counts, inland
Red-crested Pochard all (IRBC rarity) all
Red-eyed Vireo all (IRBC rarity) all
Red-footed Falcon all (IRBC rarity) all
Red-necked Grebe all all
Red-necked Phalarope all (IRBC rarity) all
Redpoll totals 10+ totals 20+
Red-rumped Swallow all (IRBC rarity) all
Redshank complete counts of specific wetlands, counts or totals 100+, inland counts 500+, 5+ inland
Redstart all all
Red-throated Diver all timed seawatches, counts 3+, inland, May-Sept
Redwing counts 100+, Apr-Oct counts 200+
Reed Bunting totals 50+ totals 100+
Reed Warbler all all
Richard's Pipit all (IRBC rarity) all
Ring Ouzel all all
Ring-billed Gull all all
Ringed Plover confirmed breeding records, complete counts of specific wetlands, counts or totals 20+, inland counts 100+, inland
Ring-necked Duck all all
Robin apparent coastal 'falls' usually not
Rock Dove / Feral Pigeon counts 50+ counts 100+
Rock Pipit totals 10+, inland totals 20+
Rook roost counts, rookery nest counts, totals 1000+ usually not
Roseate Tern all all
Rose-coloured Starling all (IRBC rarity) all
Ruddy Duck all (IRBC rarity) all
Ruddy Shelduck all (IRBC rarity) all
Ruff all all
Sabine's Gull all all
Sand Martin colony counts, roost counts, records before mid-April or after September, timed passage counts 100+ (nests or birds)
Sanderling complete counts of specific wetlands, counts or totals 20+, inland counts 50+
Sandwich Tern timed counts, counts 100+, all Nov-Feb counts 100+, all Nov-Feb
Scandinavian LBb Gull all all
Scandinavian Rock Pipit all all
Scaup all all
Scops Owl all (IRBC rarity) all
Sedge Warbler counts 10+, apparent coastal migrants, pre-May or post-Sept counts 10+, early/late
Semipalmated Sandpiper all (IRBC rarity) all
Shag breeding counts, counts or totals 50+ counts 100+
Shelduck complete counts of specific wetlands, counts 100+, inland records high counts
Short-eared Owl all all
Shoveler all all
Siberian Chiffchaff all (IRBC rarity) all
Siskin all totals 10+
Skylark counts 10+ (breeding season), 50+ (autumn/winter) high counts
Slavonian Grebe all all

Smew all all
Snipe breeding-habitat records, complete counts of specific wetlands, counts or totals 10+ counts 20+
Snow Bunting all all
Snow Goose all (IRBC rarity) all
Sociable Plover all (IRBC rarity) all records
Song Thrush counts 10+ or apparent coastal 'falls' counts 20+
Sooty Shearwater all all
Sparrowhawk confirmed breeding records, other records if available usually not
Spoonbill all (IRBC rarity) all
Spotted Crake all (IRBC rarity) all
Spotted Flycatcher all all
Spotted Redshank all all
Spotted Sandpiper all (IRBC rarity) all
Squacco Heron all (IRBC rarity) all
Starling roost counts, totals 1000+ usually not
Stock Dove all counts 5+
Stonechat counts 10+ counts 20+
Stone-curlew all (IRBC rarity) all
Storm Petrel all all
Subalpine Warbler all (IRBC rarity) all
Surf Scoter all (IRBC rarity) all
Swallow roost counts, counts 100+, records before mid-April or after mid-October, timed passage counts 200+, early/late
Swift counts 50+, records before mid-May or after mid-August high counts, early/late
Tawny Pipit all (IRBC rarity) all
Teal complete counts of specific wetlands, counts 100+ high counts
Tree Pipit all all
Tree Sparrow all all
Treecreeper all all? (in future)
Tufted Duck complete counts of specific wetlands, counts 10+ high counts
Turnstone confirmed breeding records, complete counts of specific wetlands, counts or totals 10+ counts 200+
Turtle Dove all all
Twite all all
Velvet Scoter all all
Water Pipit all (IRBC rarity) all
Water Rail all all
Waxwing all all
Western Bonelli's Warbler all (IRBC rarity) all
Wheatear breeding-habitat records, apparent coastal migrants, pre-April or post-October counts 10+, early/late
Whimbrel all spring 10+, autumn 5+, all Nov-Mar
Whinchat all all
Whiskered Tern all (IRBC rarity) all
White Stork all (IRBC rarity) all
White Wagtail all all
White-fronted Goose all all
White-rumped Sandpiper all (IRBC rarity) all
White-tailed Eagle all all records (but site details may be vague)
Whitethroat counts 10+, apparent coastal migrants, pre--mid-May or post-Sept counts 10+, early/late
White-winged Black Tern all (IRBC rarity) all
Whooper Swan all counts 10+, all May-Sept
Wigeon complete counts of specific wetlands, counts 100+ high counts

Willow Warbler counts 10+, apparent coastal migrants, pre-mid Apr or post-Sept counts 20+, smaller counts of coastal migrants, early/late
Wood Sandpiper all all
Wood Warbler all all
Woodchat Shrike all (IRBC rarity) all
Woodcock all all
Woodlark all all
Woodpigeon counts 100+ counts 500+
Wren high-altitude records  usually not
Wryneck all all
Yellow Wagtail all all
Yellow Warbler all (IRBC rarity) all
Yellow-billed Cuckoo all (IRBC rarity) all
Yellow-browed Warbler all all
Yellowhammer all totals 5+
Yellow-legged Gull all all

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