"naturalised" - 1 õppematerjal

Ireland report

coastal habitats. Fauna Only 31 mammal species are native to Ireland, again because it was isolated from Europe by rising sea levels after the Ice Age. Some species, such as the red fox, hedgehog, stoat, and badger are very common, whereas others, like the Irish hare, red deer and pine marten are less common and generally seen only in certain national parks and nature reserves around the island. Some introduced species have become thoroughly naturalised, e.g. rabbits and the brown rat. About 400 species of birds have been recorded in Ireland. Many of these species are migratory. There are arctic birds, which come in the winter, and birds such as the swallow, which come from Africa in the summer to breed. Ireland has a very rich marine avifauna, with many large seabird colonies dotted around its coastline such as those on the Saltee Islands and Skellig Michael. Also of note are golden eagles, only