page_title: List of birds of Ireland
section_title: Cormorants, shags
hierarchical_section_title: List of birds of Ireland / Cormorants, shags
caption_attribution_description: Phalacrocorax aristotelis at nest with well-grown chicks, Inner Farne, Farne Islands, Northumberland, UK
context_page_description: This is a list of the bird species recorded in Ireland. The avifauna of Ireland included a total of 485 species as of the end of 2019 according to the Irish Rare Birds Committee. Of them, 183 are rare, and 14 of the rarities have not been seen in Ireland since 1950. Three species were either introduced to Ireland or came to Ireland from another introduced population.
  Ireland has a relatively low diversity of breeding birds due to its isolation. Several species such as the tawny owl, Eurasian nuthatch and willow tit which breed in Great Britain have not been recorded. However, there are large colonies of seabirds including important populations of European storm-petrels, northern gannets, and roseate terns. Other notable breeding birds include corn crakes and red-billed choughs. There are no endemic species but there are endemic subspecies of white-throated dipper, coal tit, and Eurasian jay.
  Large numbers of wildfowl and waders winter in Ireland, attracted by its mild climate. About half the world population of the Greenland race of greater white-fronted geese spend the winter there.
context_section_description: Order: Suliformes   Family: Phalacrocoracidae
  Phalacrocoracidae is a family of medium to large coastal, fish-eating seabirds that includes cormorants and shags. Plumage colouration varies, with the majority having mainly dark plumage, some species being black-and-white and a few being colourful.
caption: European shags, common around the coast.
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