Chaffinch

The Chaffinch is another one of Ireland’s most common garden birds. Male Chaffinches are identifiable by their blue-grey heads, redbreasts, forked tails, and light brown plumage. The Irish name for this bird is Rí Rua (Red King), which is fitting, considering its colours and elegant stature. In Galway City you’ll find them perched in trees along the canal, keeping an eye out for their next meal. Like other common Irish garden birds, the Chaffinch has appeared in various folktales. According to some, a Chaffinch’s song warned of rain, and if one landed on your windowsill, treachery was coming your way.