Members of the public are being asked to report any sightings of rare, scarce or non-native bird species in Ireland during the summer months.

The Irish Rare Breeding Birds Panel (IRBBP) made the appeal as the summer breeding season comes to an end and birds start to leave their nesting areas.

The IRBBP is composed of members of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), BirdWatch Ireland, Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Northern Ireland (RSPB NI).

Birdwatchers from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland are also part of the panel.

Some of the rare breeding bird species that can be found in Ireland include: whooper swan; shoveler; great skua; Mediterranean gull; bearded tit; ring ouzel; and twite.

The list of scarce breeding birds that the panel is also interested in documenting includes: eider; grey partridge; hen harrier; lapwing; woodcock; little tern; peregrine; and chough.

The IRBBP said it is "critically important" to conservation and monitoring efforts to make sure these bird species are documented correctly.

The panel is keen to hear about sightings of non-native species that nest in Ireland, such as the greylag goose, Canada goose, Mandarin duck, rose-ringed parakeet, and others.

The panel also welcomes records of potential colonist species that are not included on the existing lists, which can be found on the IRBBP website.

Records of any rare, scarce or non-native bird species that may have been breeding in Ireland this summer can be submitted to the IRBBP secretary Tony Murray (NPWS).

The records should include dates, locations, and details of the birds' activity or breeding evidence.