County Clare
County Clare is a county of Ireland and part of the wider province of Munster along with County Cork, County Kerry, County Waterford, County Limerick & County Tipperary. It is located in the southern part of Ireland; one of the 26 counties within the Republic of Ireland. It is bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, County Limerick to the south. County Tipperary to the east and by County Galway to the north. The nickname of the county is the Banner County. It lies northwest of the River Shannon and covers a total area of 3,450 km² (1,330 square miles) with a population of around 128,000 people. The most populated town and county seat is Ennis housing about 20% of the county’s populous.
Bodies of water define much of the physical boundaries of Clare. To the southeast is the River Shannon which is Ireland’s longest river, the border to the northeast is defined by Lough Derg which is the third largest lake in Ireland and to the west is the Atlantic Ocean.
Cliffs of Moher – ©Michal Osmenda CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
County Clare contains The Burren, a unique karst region, which contains rare flowers and fauna. At the western edge of The Burren, facing the Atlantic Ocean, are the Cliffs of Moher. The highest point in County Clare is Moylussa, 532m, in the Slieve Bearnagh range in the east of the county. There are several small islands that are part of the county; Aughinish, Inishmore, Inishloe, Mutton Island and Scattery Island.
Birding County Clare
The Cliffs of Moher is an IBA as it is nesting ground for around 30,000 birds of up to 20 species including Atlantic Puffins and Razorbills, which also nest on the small Goat Island. Loop Head headland on the north side of the mouth of the River Shannon once had an observatory and is a popular sea-watching location. Good for shearwaters, petrels and skuas in the Autumn. In fact, all of the Shannon estuary is good, with something of interest any time o0f the year with waders and wildfowl overwintering, breeding or on passage and with the chance of vagrants during migration times.
The Burren – ©Dieglop CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The extraordinary landscape of the Burren is renowned for its unusual and extensive wildflowers and being home to more than 30 species of butterfly, only two less than the entire island of Ireland. It is also home to a wide rang of bird species, from gulls and corvids to falcons & waders and breeding pipits, chats, larks and cuckoos.
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Wikipedia
GNU Free Documentation License
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_Clare
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John Murphy
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Number of bird species: 339
(As at March 2026)
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Avibase
Checklist
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Birds of Ireland - A Field Guide
| By Jim Wilson | Gill Books | 2024 | Edition 2 | Paperback | 288 pages, 1600+ colour photos, colour distribution maps | ISBN: 9781804580721 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Finding Birds in Ireland - The Complete Guide
| By Eric Dempsey & Michael O'Clery | Gill Books | 2014 | Edition 2 | Paperback | 389 pages, 300 colour photos, colour maps | ISBN: 9780717159253 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Wild Guide - West of Ireland
| (Travel Adventure Guide - Wild Atlantic Way, Donegal, Galway, Mayo, Clare, Cork & Kerry) | By Candida Frith-Macdonald & Daniel Start | Wild Things Publishing | 2025 | Paperback | 300 pages, 300 colour photos, 25 colour maps | ISBN: 9781910636602 Buy this book from NHBS.com
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Loop Head Bird Observatory
Observatory WebsiteSatellite ViewThis is the blog spot of the newly relaunched Loop Head Bird Observatory. The village of Kilbaha is on the Loop Head peninsula in County Clare, and it is here that the Observatory was first founded in 1985…
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Clare Birdwatching
WebsiteClare is a haven for birdwatchers and this site is only the tip of the iceberg...
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NP The Burren
WebsiteSatellite ViewThe Park is centred on Mullaghmore and at present is 1,673 hectares in extent. Other suitable areas will be acquired as resources permit… -
NP&WS Nature Reserves
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NR Dromore Wood
InformationSatellite ViewThe Nature Reserve encompasses around 1,000 acres (400 hectares). There is a Special Area of Conservation which covers a larger area.
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Clare Birdwatching
SightingsCategory Archives: Scarce & Rare Bird Sightings
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John N Murphy - Murf's Wildlife
BLOGThis is the blog site of John N Murphy, Clare based Ornithologist, Photographer & Irish Wildlife Filmmaker… -
Loop Head Bird Observatory
BLOGThis is the blog spot of the newly relaunched Loop Head Bird Observatory. The village of Kilbaha is on the Loop Head peninsula in County Clare, and it is here that the Observatory was first founded in 1985…