Where to watch birds in Sligo

Covering only 1837.52 km² with a population of only 58,000, County Sligo is one of the smallest and least populated Irish counties. Despite this, it still has a diverse range of habitats, taking in the high plateaux of Benbulben mountain and the three large estuaries comprising Sligo harbour.

Around 100 bird species breed in County Sligo, with a further 40 species occuring on an annual basis. County Sligo is most noted for the 2,000 Barnacle Geese wintering at Lissadell and Ballyconnell. Lack of coverage means that relatively few rarities have been recorded, but White-billed Diver, Ross's Gull and Whiskered Tern have been found.

This section of the site is currently being revamped, and contains a mixture of original and updated pages, but all links should be working

New Pages

Ballygilgan Nature Reserve, Lissadell is a large area of improved permanent pasture which is a traditional wintering site for over 2,000 Barnacle geese, while freshwater ponds on the site attract other waterfowl and waders, and a cereal patch at the east end attracts wintering finches and buntings.

Glencar Valley has mountain, forest (coniferous and deciduous), a large lake, and spectacular scenery

Older Pages

Please click on the Headline to view the relevant section

Sligo
Some general information on County Sligo (Travel, Accomodation....)

(1) Mullaghmore 3 Lakes, Sandy Beach, Headland

(2) Streedagh Estuary and Headland

(3) Ballyconnell Fields, Sandy and Rocky Beaches, Several Headlands

(4) Drumcliff Bay Estuary

(5) Glencar   Lake and Decidous woodland - page updated - see above

(6) Lough Colgagh   Lake

(7) Lough Gill Lake, Decidous and Coniferous woodland

(8) Sligo Town   River, Parks

(9) Sligo Harbour Estuary

(10) Ballisodare Estuary River, Estuary

(11) Lough Arrow Lake

(12) Enniscrone   Sandy Beach, Dunes

(13) Kilcummin Head Seawatching
The Birding Sites guide has been divided into several sections to make it easier to find relevant information. The table below provides an overview of each section.

Section	Description
Where	Where the site is located relative to Sligo town.
When	At what time of year it is best to visit the site.
Introduction	This section provides some background to the site.
Birds	The birds typically present at that site.
Viewpoints	The best places to view the birds from at that site.
Access	How best to get to the site by car and public transport.
Maps and Photos	This section shows any photographs or maps available for the site.