United Kingdom Ramsar wetland
Larne Lough
149 bird species recorded; the most in April and from December to January.
Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 by EOX IT Services GmbH (contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data), CC BY 4.0, with relief shading from Copernicus WorldDEM-30
This month here
87 species in January.73 species in February.71 species in March.87 species in April.81 species in May.72 species in June.76 species in July.69 species in August.71 species in September.77 species in October.72 species in November.90 species in December.
The birds you are most likely to see in the month you choose, those that come for the season first. It opens on today's month.
NT
NT
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VU
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NTNT
NTVU
VU
NTNTVUNTNT
VUNT
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NTNT
VUNTNT
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NTVU
NTNTNTNT- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
149 species, counted.
Our own rating, from the records only: species (50 points), threatened species (20), migrants (20) and protected status — Ramsar, IBA, SPA, observatory (10).
- 149Speciesrecorded more than once
- 64Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 8ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 6,002Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 4Raptors
- 3Owls
- 21Waders
- 27Gulls & seabirds
- 24Ducks & geese
- 8Herons, ibises & grebes
- 50Songbirds
- 12Other birds
From open records (eBird and others, through GBIF, licensed for any use). More birdwatchers mean more records: a quiet place may have more birds than it shows.
The checklist
All 149 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors4 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common BuzzardButeo buteo
- Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
Owls3 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Long-eared OwlAsio otus
- Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus
- Western Barn OwlTyto alba
Waders21 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusNT
- RedshankTringa totanus
- Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataNT
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
- DunlinCalidris alpinaNT
- Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
- Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
- Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
- Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
- Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
- Red KnotCalidris canutusNT
- Spotted RedshankTringa erythropus
- SanderlingCalidris alba
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
- Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticola
- Purple SandpiperCalidris maritima
- Pied AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta
- Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
- European Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
Gulls & seabirds27 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- European Herring GullLarus argentatus
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- Common GullLarus canus
- Common MurreUria aalge
- Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus
- Black GuillemotCepphus grylle
- Black-legged kittiwakeRissa tridactylaVU
- Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- RazorbillAlca torda
- Manx ShearwaterPuffinus puffinus
- FulmarFulmarus glacialis
- Northern gannetMorus bassanus
- Roseate TernSterna dougallii
- Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus
- Red-throated LoonGavia stellata
- Common LoonGavia immer
- Arctic TernSterna paradisaea
- Bonaparte's GullChroicocephalus philadelphia
- Arctic SkuaStercorarius parasiticus
- Atlantic PuffinFratercula arcticaVU
- Black-throated DiverGavia arctica
- Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreus
- Little GullHydrocoloeus minutus
- Iceland GullLarus glaucoides
- Leach's Storm PetrelOceanodroma leucorhoaVU
Ducks & geese24 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
- Common EiderSomateria mollissimaNT
- Eurasian TealAnas crecca
- Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna
- Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
- Mute SwanCygnus olor
- Greylag GooseAnser anser
- Common GoldeneyeBucephala clangula
- Brent GooseBranta bernicla
- Whooper SwanCygnus cygnus
- GoosanderMergus merganser
- Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
- Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchus
- Mandarin DuckAix galericulata
- Velvet scoterMelanitta fuscaVU
- Common ScoterMelanitta nigra
- Long-tailed duckClangula hyemalisVU
- GadwallMareca strepera
- Northern PintailAnas acuta
- American WigeonMareca americana
- Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
- Green-winged tealAnas carolinensis
- Common PochardAythya ferinaVU
Herons, ibises & grebes8 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis
- Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
- Horned GrebePodiceps auritusVU
Songbirds50 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Hooded CrowCorvus cornix
- European RobinErithacus rubecula
- Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
- Western JackdawColoeus monedula
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- RookCorvus frugilegus
- Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Eurasian MagpiePica pica
- Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Eurasian Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- European Rock PipitAnthus petrosus
- European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
- Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- Great titParus major
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
- Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
- Coal TitPeriparus ater
- Northern RavenCorvus corax
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
- Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- European GreenfinchChloris chloris
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- White-throated DipperCinclus cinclus
- Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
- Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
- Eurasian TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
- Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
- Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulus
- FieldfareTurdus pilaris
- TwiteLinaria flavirostris
- RedwingTurdus iliacus
- WhitethroatSylvia communis
- Common RedpollAcanthis flammea
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
- Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
- Common Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naevia
Other birds12 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
- Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- European SwiftApus apus
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus
- Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
- Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- Stock DoveColumba oenas
- CootFulica atra
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
- Common CuckooCuculus canorus
- Corncrake, corn crakeCrex crex
Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.
When to go
The most species in April and from December to January.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan8°/5°110 mm
- Feb7°/5°86 mm
- Mar8°/5°80 mm
- Apr10°/6°62 mm
- May12°/9°73 mm
- Jun14°/11°84 mm
- Jul16°/13°93 mm
- Aug16°/13°104 mm
- Sep15°/12°87 mm
- Oct13°/10°124 mm
- Nov10°/8°120 mm
- Dec8°/6°114 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Larne Lough.
Inlet in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, UK
Larne Lough is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in United Kingdom.
149 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 6,002 open records.
The most recorded are the European Herring Gull, the Black-headed Gull and the Eurasian Oystercatcher.
27 species come for the summer, 36 for the winter and 1 only pass through.
8 are threatened worldwide, including Black-legged kittiwake, Horned Grebe and Atlantic Puffin.
The most species are recorded in April and from December to January.
Get there and watch
- Curran Caravan Parkcampsite · 2.7 km · 4 within 10 km
- Harbour Inn B&Bplace to stay · 2.2 km · 12 within 10 km
- Larnenearest town · 3.0 km in a straight line
- George Best Belfast City Airport (BHD)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 24 km in a straight lineCar hire at BHD airport (Belfast)Discover Cars · sponsored link↗
Plan the visit
A guided walk, a bed nearby, a car.
Some links above are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the data on this page says.
From above
The place and its surroundings.
The satellite image of the 6 × 6 km around the place, with the bird hides, towers and trails that OpenStreetMap shows.
Around, in OpenStreetMap
- 1observation towers within 6 km
- 1visitor centres within 6 km
- 77car parks within 3 km
- 14restaurants and cafés within 3 km
- 4campsites within 10 kmCurran Caravan Park, Carnfunnock Caravan Park and 2 more
- 12places to stay within 10 kmHarbour Inn B&B, Curran Court Hotel, 2 and 9 more
- bird hides within 6 km
- marked trails within 4 km
- viewpoints within 5 km
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit. A low number may just mean nobody has mapped it yet.
In our other atlases
Around Larne Lough.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Peakyas14 mountains within 25 kmSallagh Braes · 10 kmScawt Hill378 m · 12 kmSlieve True312 m · 13 kmWee Collin · 14 kmDouglas Top402 m · 18 kmBig Collin · 19 kmSlemish437 m · 20 kmCavehill370 m · 23 km
Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.
Other places nearby.
Larne Lough
United Kingdom
- 72Birdyas Score
- 149Species
- 64Migrants
- 8Threatened
Calf of Man Bird Observatory
Isle of Man · 107 km
- 79Birdyas Score
- 180Species
- 98Migrants
- 7Threatened
Gruinart Flats SSSI
United Kingdom · 115 km
- 77Birdyas Score
- 174Species
- 83Migrants
- 8Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q3756436) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 6,002 open bird records within 6 km (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY 4.0 only; mostly eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology) |
| See these records | gbif.org |
| Species | GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0; Wikidata (CC0); Wikimedia Commons |
| Altitude | Copernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA |
| Temperature and rain | NASA POWER (CERES SYN1deg, 2001–2020; MERRA-2) |
| What is around | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Images | EOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons |
| Sister atlases | Peakyas, Islandyas |
Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.
The family
Do you prefer beaches, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, islands, rivers, canyons, caves, dark skies, viewpoints, birdwatching or forests?
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dark skies
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viewpoints
Every viewpoint with its real 360° panorama: the peaks you can name, how far you see and where the sun sets.Coming soonVisit 
birdwatching
Every bird sanctuary and wetland with the species recorded month by month: who is resident, who comes for the summer, who only passes through.You are here
forests
Every forest with its land-cover rings, what grows and lives in it, and the best months to walk it.Coming soonVisit