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County Laois

Blue Tit Parus caeruleus ©Ashley Beolens Website

County Laois is a county in the midlands of Ireland, forming part of the province of Leinster. The county is landlocked and, uniquely amongst Irish counties it is doubly landlocked, that is, it does not border any other counties with a sea coast. It is therefore considered to be ‘the most landlocked county in Ireland’. It is bordered by Offaly to the north and west, Kildare to the north and east, Carlow to the southeast, Kilkenny to the south and Tipperary to the southwest. A small county, it covers an area of 1,720 km2 (660 square miles) with a population of around 92,000 people. The county town is Portlaoise which houses more than a quarter of the population.

The River Nore and the River Barrow flow through the lush countryside of rolling hills, farmland and blanket bogs in the county. Lesser rivers include the Erkina, Goul and Triogue. The Slieve Bloom Mountains, one of the oldest ranges in Europe, are shared with Offaly.  The highest peak is Arderin and key attractions include the Glenbarrow Waterfall and the Ridge of Capard and the area is good for Red Grouse.

Camac Aqueduct – ©Andrewmc CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Tree cover accounts for around 17% of the land, but only 2% is natural woodland, with a significant density of Irish Whitebeam around the Slieve Bloom Mountains.

Birding County Laois

Coolacurragh Wood Nature Reserve is an example of wet woodland on base-rich soils. It is dominated by alder, ash and birch with hawthorn in the shrub layer. The herb layer is dominated by bramble, nettle and meadowsweet. The reserve lake is rich in fish and invertebrates attracting Kingfishers and Cormorants as well as Otter. Grantsown Wood and Granston Lough Nature Reserves are further examples of wet woodland. Granstown Lough is a classic example of a lake which has gradually infilled through fen to alder carr.

Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus – ©Ashley Beolens

Timahoe Esker Nature Reserve is a mix of oak, ash, willow, hawthorn and hazel good for a variety of woodland birds such as Long-tailed Tit.

Slieve Bloom Mountains – ©NL Buttonfreak CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The star of reserves in the county is the Slieve Bloom Mountains Nature Reserve and at the Ridge of Capard there is a car park, three way-marked circular trails and a viewing platform overlooking the surrounding countryside. Here the long-distance walk, the Slieve Bloom Way, also passes through the nature reserve. At over 2,300 hectares, Ireland’s largest state-owned Nature Reserve and a RAMSAR site. Much of the upland area is designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) because of its mountain blanket bog. It is also designated a Special Protection Area (SPA), for its Hen Harrier population. Snow buntings are found on the nature reserve in winter. Other bird species found include Merlin, Peregrine, Raven, Snipe, Golden Plover, Lapwing, Curlew, Wheatear and Ring Ouzel.

Contributors
Number of Species

  • Number of bird species: 169

    (As at March 2026)
Checklist

  • Avibase

    PDF Checklist
    This checklist includes all bird species found in Laois , based on the best information available at this time. It is based on a wide variety of sources that I collated over many years. I am pleased to offer these checklists as a service to birdwatchers. If you find any error, please do not hesitate to report them.

  • eBird

    PDF Checklist
    This checklist is generated with data from eBird (ebird.org), a global database of bird sightings from birders like you. If you enjoy this checklist, please consider contributing your sightings to eBird. It is 100% free to take part, and your observations will help support birders, researchers, and conservationists worldwide.
Useful Reading

  • 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
Organisations

  • BirdWatch Ireland Laois Branch

    Facebook Page
    The purpose of this page is to provide information on the activities of BirdWatch Ireland Laois Branch.

  • Irish Wildlife Trust Laois/Offaly Branch

    Webpage
    The branch aims to promote wildlife and habitat conservation locally and the positive use and enjoyment of natural heritage within the two counties.
Reserves

Abbreviations Key

  • Laois - National Parks & Wildlife Service

    WebpageSatellite View
    Reserves list & info

  • NR Grantsown Wood & Granston Lough

    WebpageSatellite View
    These reserves are examples of wet woodland on base-rich soils. They are dominated by alder, ash and birch with hawthorn in the shrub layer. The herb layer is dominated by bramble, nettle and meadowsweet. Granstown Lough is a classic example of a lake which has gradually infilled through fen to alder carr.

  • NR Slieve Bloom Mountains

    WebpageSatellite View
    The Slieve Bloom Mountains Nature Reserve is, at over 2,300 hectares, Ireland’s largest state-owned Nature Reserve. It was established in 1985, so that it could be managed in such a way as to ensure the conservation of the mountain blanket bog ecosystem. In addition, the Nature Reserve is designated a Ramsar Wetland Site and a Council of Europe Biogenetic Reserve. Much of the greater upland area has been designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). The primary interest of the SAC is mountain blanket bog. The Slieve Bloom Mountains are also designated a Special Protection Area (SPA), of special conservation interest for the hen harrier, a rare bird of prey.

  • NR Coolacurragh Wood

    WebpageSatellite View
    This reserve is an example of wet woodland on base-rich soils. It is dominated by alder, ash and birch with hawthorn in the shrub layer. The herb layer is dominated by bramble, nettle and meadowsweet. Fish in the lake provide Kingfishers, Cormorants and Otter with food. Otter tracks may be found in muddy places by the lake.

  • NR Timahoe Esker

    WebpageSatellite View
    Ash woodland with pedunculate oak and grey willow, hawthorn and hazel. The herb layer includes bluebell, bugle and shield fern. Bluebells carpet the woods in Spring and Long tailed Tits can be found nesting among the brambles.
Sightings, News & Forums
Other Links

  • Site Guide South Laois

    Webpage
    Best birding sites in south Laois

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