Thousands of dedicated bird watchers in the north took part in an annual watch to spot the most popular species despite the event happening in the aftermath of Storm Éowyn ravaging the islands.
The RSPB-organised Big Garden Birdwatch took place over the weekend following the storm hitting shores on January 24, the day the three-day event was due to begin.
Despite the storm, 12,000 people in the north, and close to 600,000 across the UK, participated in the event, with the house sparrow coming top as the most spotted bird, a position it has held for more than two decades.
The hundreds of thousands taking part counted over nine million birds, spanning 80 different species, in gardens and parks, this after the storm had downed hundreds of trees, closed all public areas and left close to 300,000 households in the north without electricity.
After the house sparrow, the most spotted in the north were starlings and then blackbirds. At fourth place was the blue tit followed by the goldfinch.
Barring the sparrow at the top, these differed from overall results from across the UK, with the blue tit at second, wood pigeon third, starling fourth and blackbird fifth.
Neal Warnock, conservation manager for RSPB NI, said: “Despite the weather from Storm Éowyn, we are thrilled that so many people in Northern Ireland took part in this year’s Big Garden Birdwatch.
“It’s a fun, easy way to connect with nature, and year after year, it gives us valuable insight into how our garden birds are faring – so thank you to those who took part.”
He added: “The results help highlight just how vital our gardens and green spaces are for supporting wildlife. For example, starlings, who came second in Northern Ireland’s rankings, are facing significant challenges.
“These energetic, social birds are a familiar sight in gardens across the UK, but their breeding populations have been in decline for decades, making them a red-listed species on the UK’s Conservation Status.
“Gardens continue to be an important refuge for starlings, offering them much-needed shelter and a place to thrive.”