The unmistakable Robin

Robin (Spidéog)
(14cm)

Probably the most familiar and famous bird to visit your garden in winter. Very tame and rarely more than two seen together. Robins are also very territorial and aggressive towards "intruding" Robins.

BlueTit, as colourful as any tropical bird!

Blue Tit (Meantán Gorm)
(11/12cm)

A small, mainly blue and yellow bird. It has a blue cap with a white halo. Small, narrow beak. Likes peanut feeders.

Coal Tit, note the large white stripe on the back of the neck

Coal Tit (Meantán Dubh)
(11/12cm)

Overall grey-brown above and cream colour below. It has a black cap and unlike and other garden birds it has a thick white stripe down the back of its neck. It has a small, narrow beak. Shyer than the Blue Tit. Also likes peanut feeders.

Great Tit, note the white cheek patches

Great Tit (Meantán Mór)
(14cm)

Larger than the two species above. Black head with white cheeks. Green-brown above and yellow below with a black line down the middle (more obvious in males than in females). Relatively small, narrow beak. Also likes peanut feeders.

Long-tailed Tit, unmistakable

Long-tailed Tit (Meantán Earrfada)
(12-14cm)

If you get a good look at this little bird it is very easy to identify. As you can see from the picture its tail is as long as its body. It usually visits gardens in flocks of five or more and does not usually stay long. They make a loud short high-pitched call that they repeat frequently so you will often hear them coming before you see them. Other tits have been known to join flocks of Long-tailed Tits as they move from place to place in search of food.

Siskins, female on the left, male on the right, feeding upside down

Siskin (Píobaire)
(12cm)

These small finches often visit gardens any time from December until March or April. They are yellow-green in colour. As you can clearly see from the picture the male (on the right) is brighter than the female on the left. They nearly always cling to the mesh feeder upside down. Their natural food is mainly the seeds of conifer cones, hence the habit of clinging upside down, to get seeds out of the cones. In years when pine cone seeds are scarce larger numbers of Siskins can be seen in gardens.

Blackcap, male

Black Cap (Caipín Dubh)
(14cm)

I have included this species because while it is not very common. I get many questions about this mystery visitor to the feeding area. This is a large warbler with a long thin beak. It is overall grey brown with a black cap (male) or brown cap (female). It is about the same size as a Robin. It will feed either on the hanging mesh feeders or from the bird table. It can be very aggressive; chasing off any other bird that comes near.