Cray are not fish, but freshwater crustaceans related to lobsters. White–clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes), Ireland’s only native crayfish, are widely distributed in the main channel of the Maigue and in the larger tributaries. Crayfish are an important food item for fish, especially trout and eels. White-clawed crayfish are protected in Ireland under the Wildlife..
Kingfishers are a brightly coloured bird-often all you see of one is a bright flash of orange and blue. Kingfishers prey on small fish and insects. Kingfishers excavate their nest into the bank of the river. The tunnel to the nest can be up to a meter in..
The Dipper is our only song bird that can dive and swim in the river. This distinctive little bird is dark chestnut in colour with a white bib. The dipper can dive down to the bottom of the river and hunt for insects. Dippers can be seen in rural and urban areas. It is often seen sitting on a rock in the river bobbing or ‘dipping’ its head up and down. Dippers build a large dome-shaped nest out of moss, on sheltered areas of the riverbanks. They often build their nests under..
Pied wagtails are often found near water.It eats insects mostly from the ground. This bird is easily recognisable , it runs across the ground in a jerky fashion and constantly wags its long..
Herons are common along rivers of the Maigue catchment. They are opportunistic hunters, feeding on fish, frogs, small mammals and..
Cormorants are large fish-eating birds that prey on a wide range of fish species (eels , trout, salmon smolts, roach wrasse and others) in coastal and inland waters. Their numbers are increasing and there is much controversy about their impact on fish stocks in rivers and..
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