Birds & Animals

The expansive area of Glenveagh National Park offers refuge to a large number of animals. Deer, foxes and badgers are a common sight.

 

Red Deer

Originally an animal of woodland edges, red deer in Ireland are now more usually found in mountain and moorland areas, as most lowland forests were cleared for farming over the centuries.

Copyright Mike Brown

Red Deer
Copyright Mike Brown

Red Deer

Originally an animal of woodland edges, red deer in Ireland are now more usually found in mountain and moorland areas, as most lowland forests were cleared for farming over the centuries.

Copyright Mike Brown

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Badger

The European badger lives in an underground home called a sett. Badgers dig their setts in many different habitats, woodlands and hedgerows are good places to find badger setts.

Badger

Badger

The European badger lives in an underground home called a sett. Badgers dig their setts in many different habitats, woodlands and hedgerows are good places to find badger setts.

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Glenveagh is also host to bird species such as crossbill, siskin, goldcrest, coaltit and ravens. Many birds also arrive from Africa for the summer months, for example the spotted flycatcher and the chiffchaff. The wood warbler, which is a rare bird in Ireland, comes to Glenveagh every year.

Golden Eagle
Copyright Mike Brown

One of the most fascinating birds at Glenveagh is the striking Golden Eagle. The Golden Eagle was once a common bird in Ireland, but due to human activity it became extinct in 1912. However, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) have reintroduced the Golden Eagle to Ireland. The first chicks arrived in 2001 from Scotland, and by 2005 42 birds were released at Glenveagh. In May 2009, two chicks were born.

For further information on the Golden Eagle Project, please see the Golden Eagle Trust website.