Birdwatchers believe a funnel of air caused them to overshoot France and land in Ireland
A hoopoe: it is 50 years since so many have been spotted in Ireland.
First published:Mon, Apr 27, 2015, 01:00
If you think you spotted an unusual pink bird with zebra-patterned wings in recent weeks, you are not alone.
The hoopoe, so called because of the sound it makes, has come to these shores in unexpectedly large numbers this year, with at least 50 being spotted, according to Birdwatch Ireland’s head of operations, Oran O’Sullivan. It is 50 years since so many hoopoes have been spotted here.
Usually, fewer than 10 are recorded in early spring or late autumn when migrating birds stray off course.
Mr O’Sullivan said the exotic birds, about the size of a starling or thrush, were a Mediterranean species, typically nesting in trees and olive groves.
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