 | This article includes a list ofgeneral references, butit lacks sufficient correspondinginline citations. Please help toimprove this article byintroducing more precise citations.(January 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Thefauna of Ireland comprises all theanimalspecies inhabiting the island ofIreland and its surrounding waters.
This table uses figures supplied by theNational Parks and Wildlife Service.[1]
| Phylum | Class(es) | Species | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Porifera (sponges) | Calcarea,Demospongiae,Homoscleromorpha | 290 (list) | ||
| Cnidaria | Anthozoa (sea anemones, soft coral) Hydrozoa (hydroids and siphonophores) Scyphozoa (true sea jellies) Staurozoa (stalked sea jellies) | 302 (list) | ||
| Chordata | Ascidiacea (sea squirts) | 78 (list) | ||
| Appendicularia (larvaceans) | 9 (list) | |||
| Thaliacea (pelagic tunicates) | 11 (list) | |||
| Hyperoartia (lampreys) | 3 (list) | |||
| Myxini (hagfish) | 2 (list) | |||
| Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fish) | 64 (list) | |||
| Actinopterygii (ray-finned bony fish) | 363 (list) | |||
| Amphibia | 4 (list) | |||
| Reptilia | 16 (list) | |||
| Aves (birds) | 444 (list) | |||
| Mammalia | 79 (list) | 46 terrestrial, 33 marine | ||
| Echinodermata | Asteroidea (sea stars) Crinoidea (feather stars) Echinoidea (sea urchins) Holothuroidea (sea cucumbers) Ophiuroidea (brittle stars) | 192 (list) | ||
| Arthropoda | Crustacea | 1,774 (list) | ||
| Arachnida | 860 (list) | |||
| Myriapoda | 59 (list) | |||
| Insecta | 7,162 | Lists:beetles,butterflies,moths,dragonflies and damselflies,grasshoppers and bush-crickets,flies,Hymenoptera,bugs | ||
| Mollusca | 1,088 (list) | |||
| Annelida (segmented worms) | 321 | 241 marine, 80 non-marine (list) | ||
| Bryozoa (moss animals) | Gymnolaemata,Stenolaemata | 100 (list) | ||
| Parasitic helminths | 111 | |||
| Other | 280 | "Others" includes 85 marine and 195 terrestrial/freshwater |
Only 26 landmammal species (including bats, but not includingmarine mammals) are native toIreland, because it has been isolated from the European mainland (byrising sea levels after theMidlandian Ice Age), since about 14,000 BC.[2][3]Some species, such as thered fox,European hedgehog,stoat,otter,pygmy shrew, andbadger are common, whereas others, like theIrish hare,red deer, andpine marten are less common and generally seen only in certain national parks and nature reserves around the island. Some introduced species have become thoroughly naturalised, e.g. theEuropean rabbit,grey squirrel,bank vole,[4] andbrown rat. In addition, ten species ofbat are found in Ireland.
During theLast Glacial Period, mammals such as thewoolly mammoth,muskox,[5]wild horse,Irish elk (also known as the giant deer),brown bear,cave hyena,Arctic lemming,Arctic fox,wolf, andreindeer inhabited Ireland.Eurasian lynx remains are also known from someHolocene sites.[6]
Irish brown bears are thought to have become extinct around 1000-500 BC.[7] The last knownIrish grey wolf was killed in 1786.[8]
Excavations ofBarbary macaque remains from the Iron Age (dating to around 390 BC-20 BC) indicate the species was artificially brought to Ireland at some point in the past.[9]
.jpg)
Only one landreptile is native to the country, theviviparous lizard. It is common innational parks, particularly in theWicklow Mountains.Slowworms are common in parts ofThe Burren area inCounty Clare, but they are not a native species and were probably introduced in the 1970s. Five marineturtle species appear regularly off the west coast, theleatherback,green,hawksbill,loggerhead, andKemp's ridley, but they very rarely come ashore.
Legend attributes the absence ofsnakes in Ireland toSaint Patrick, who is said to have banished them from the island, chasing them into the sea after they assailed him during a 40-day fast he was undertaking on top of a hill. In reality, no species of snake ever inhabited Ireland, due to it losing its land-bridge to Britain before snakes came north after theIce Age.[10][11]
Threeamphibians are found in Ireland, thecommon European brown frog, thesmooth newt, and thenatterjack toad. There are questions over whether the frog is actually native to Ireland, with some historic accounts stating that the frog was introduced in the 18th century. The natterjack toad is only found in a few localised sites in County Kerry and western County Cork. For atlases seeAtlases of the flora and fauna of Britain and Ireland. It reached Ireland sometime after theice age.[12]
About 400bird species have been recorded in Ireland. Many of these species are migratory. There are Arctic birds, which come in the winter, and birds such as theswallow, which come fromAfrica in the summer to breed. Many birds which are common residents in Britain and continental Europe are rare or unusual in Ireland, examples include thetawny owl,willow tit,marsh tit,nuthatch, and all woodpecker species except the recently establishedgreat spotted woodpecker.[13] These are birds which do not move great distances and their absence may be due to Ireland's early isolation, but also Ireland's mild weather means early breeding and choice of best habitats which gives residents an advantage over visitors.
Although Ireland has fewer breeding species than Britain and Continental Europe (because there are fewer habitat types, fewer deciduous woodlands, Scots pine forests, heaths, and high mountain ranges), there are important populations of species that are in decline elsewhere.Storm petrels (largest breeding numbers in the world),roseate tern,chough, andcorncrake. Four species of bird have Irishsubspecies. These are thecoal tit (Parus ater hibernicus),dipper (Cinclus cinclus hibernicus),jay (Garrulus glandarius hibernicus), andred grouse ( Lagopus lagopus hibernicus).
Thewren,robin,blackbird, andcommon chaffinch are the most widespread species, occurring in 90% of the land area. These and therook,starling,great tit, andblue tit are among the most numerous and commonly seen. Over the period 1997–2007, populations of pigeons, warblers, tits, finches, and buntings have remained stable or shown an increase (there were massive declines during the 1970s).Kestrel,swift,skylark, andmistle thrush have continued to decline due to changes in agricultural practices such as increased use of pesticides and fertiliser.Climate change has also played a role.[14]For atlases seeAtlases of the flora and fauna of Britain and Ireland
Ireland has a rich marineavifauna, with many largeseabird colonies dotted around its coastline such as those on theSaltee Islands,Skellig Michael, and theCopeland Islands. Also of note aregolden eagles, recently reintroduced after decades of extinction (Golden Eagle Reintroduction Programme inCounty Donegal). Another conservation effort is habitat management to encourage thered-necked phalarope.
South-eastern Wexford is an important site for birds - the north side ofWexford Harbour, theNorth Slob, is home to 10,000Greenland white-fronted geese each winter (roughly one-third of the entire world's population), while in the summerLady's Island Lake is an important breeding site for terns, especially theroseate tern. Three-quarters of the world population ofpale bellied brent geese winter inStrangford Lough in County Down.
In 2001, thegolden eagle wasreintroduced intoGlenveagh National Park after a 90-year absence from Ireland. A total of 46 golden eagles have been released in Ireland since 2001. In 2007, the first golden eagle chick hatched in Ireland since re-introduction.[15][16] In 2006, 30red kite birds originally from Wales were released in theWicklow Mountains. Six weeks later one was shot dead, it was found to have 8 shotgun pellets in it.[17] The first red kite chick hatched in 2010.[18] In 2007, thewhite-tailed eagle returned to Ireland with six young birds being released inKillarney National Park after an absence of over 200 years from Ireland. Fifteen of these birds have been released in total.[19][20] There are plans for thecommon crane to also return to Ireland in the future. While theosprey andmarsh harrier have slowly returned to Ireland naturally.
In July 2019,Birdwatch Ireland reported that the Irish bird population was in "dramatic" decline, with 40 percent of the country's waterbirds, or half a million, lost in the prior 20 years. Loss of habitat was cited as the reason for the decline.[21] Other reasons were climate changes, agriculture, hedge cutting, pollution, and the burning of scrub.[22] Birdwatch Ireland called for the Citizens' Assembly to examine thebiodiversity loss.[23] One of every five Irish bird species assessed in the survey was threatened with extinction.[24]Lapwing numbers, according to Birdwatch Ireland, were down 67% in twenty years.[25] It also said there had been an "almost complete extermination" of farmland birds, for example thecorncrake.[22] Thecurlew was reported on the verge of extinction in Ireland, with only 150 pairs remaining. In the 1960s, 5,000 pairs had been reported.[22][26]
Ireland has 375 fish species in its coastal waters[27] and 40 freshwater species in its rivers and lakes.[28] Most of these arepelagic. There are many aquatic mammals too, such asbottlenose dolphins,orca whales, andharbour porpoises.Sea turtles are also common off the western seaboard, and thewalrus has also been found around the Irish coasts, but is very rare with only a handful of sightings.[29] The cool, temperate waters around Ireland contain a huge variety ofmarine invertebrates[30] Some of this diversity can be observed intide pools.
There are 24 species ofcetaceans and five species ofsea turtles that have been recorded in Irish waters.[31] Thegiant squid has been recorded on five occasions.[32]
ThePorcupine Abyssal Plain which has an average depth of 4,774 m is on the continental margin southwest of Ireland. It is the habitat for manydeep sea fish and was first investigated in the summers of 1868 and 1869 byCharles Wyville Thomsons H.M.S.Porcupine expedition. Other notable fish include thebasking shark,ocean sunfish,conger eel,hagfish,boarfish (Capros aper),large-eyed rabbitfish,lumpsucker,cuckoo wrasse, and thethresher shark.
In a study of the marine fauna of theCeltic Sea based on 61beam trawl catches, thecommon dragonet and the hermit crabPagurus prideaux were the most ubiquitous species.[33]
There are an estimated 11,500 species of insect recorded in Ireland (11,422 actual at October 2010: in well-known groups 1,400 of these moths, 33 species of dragonflies/damselflies and 34 species of butterfly). Many more remain to be found.[34] Six checklists of the Irish insect fauna have been published to date-Coleoptera,[35]Lepidoptera,[36]Diptera,[37][38]Hymenoptera,[39] andHemiptera and small orders.[40] The history and rationale of the lists is detailed by O'Connor.[41] Spiders are represented by 378 species.[42]Literature on other Irish land invertebrates can be accessed on the CEDaR Literature Database[43] using the key words search facility. The site is regularly updated but gaps still exist.
For atlases SeeAtlases of the flora and fauna of Britain and Ireland
Notable Irish species include thefreshwater pearl mussel,diving bell spider,marsh fritillary butterfly,Kerry slug,Semilimax pyrenaicus,freshwater crayfish, thewhite prominent moth, andRoesel's bush-cricket.
The aquatic insect fauna is listed by Asheet al.[44]
Species that have become extinct in Ireland in historic times include thegreat auk, theIrish elk, thebrown bear,Eurasian lynx,grey whale, and thewildcat. The lastgrey wolf in Ireland was killed by John Watson ofBallydarton on the slopes ofMount Leinster,County Carlow in 1786.[45][46] Manybird of prey species including thegolden eagle,white-tailed eagle, andred kite have been re-introduced tonational parks after absences between 90 and 200 years.
These are theNatural History Museum Dublin which opened in 1856 and theUlster Museum in Belfast which opened in 1929. Ireland's universities hold smaller collections.Trinity College Dublin also has a Zoological museum that is open during the summer months.[47]
Irelands position on the continental shelf favours marine both marine life and faunal studies. There are two research stationsQueen’s Marine Laboratory located onStrangford Lough and theRyan Marine Science Institute in Galway.
In 2000, scientists in Ireland commenced a research programme called "Ag-Biota", concerning the impact of modern agriculture on biodiversity.[48]
There is also continuous monitoring and research on Irish biodiversity carried out by the National Biodiversity Data Centre based inWaterford.
An early (1180) account of the fauna is given by Gerald of Wales inTopographia Hibernica and in 1652Gerard Boate'sNatural History of Ireland was published. Also in the 17th centuryThomas Molyneux made observations. TheClare Island Survey (1909–11) organised byRobert Lloyd Praeger was the first comprehensive biological survey carried out in the world. It became a model for studies elsewhere.
Details of the composition of the Irish fauna by group are given by Ferriss, S. E., Smith, K. G. and Inskipp, T. P.(editors), 2009Irish Biodiversity: a taxonomic inventory of fauna.[49] The online source is not up to date for alltaxa.
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link){{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
