Copeland Bird Observatory

Copeland Bird Observatory sits on Old Lighthouse Island, one of the Copeland Islands off the County Down coast of Northern Ireland, at the mouth of Belfast Lough.

About Copeland Bird Observatory

This is not an astronomical observatory but Northern Ireland's only bird observatory, running since 1954. It is directed and serviced by the British Trust for Ornithology and operated day-to-day by local amateur ornithologists on a part-time basis.

History

Operational since 1954, Copeland has built up one of the largest Manx Shearwater ringing datasets in the world, spanning more than seven decades of continuous records.

Research

The observatory's core work is bird ringing, safely tagging everything from resident species to migrants and seabirds, to gather long-term data on migratory and breeding birds for conservation purposes. Old Lighthouse Island itself rises about 40 metres above sea level, covers roughly 16 hectares, and is covered in elder scrub, bracken, and flowering plants; visitors regularly spot bottlenose dolphins and harbour porpoise offshore, with occasional minke whale sightings.

Location & getting there

The observatory is on Old Lighthouse Island off the County Down coast of Northern Ireland, part of Europe's British Isles, reachable by boat from the mainland.

Visiting Copeland Bird Observatory

The observatory is normally open Friday to Sunday from April to October, by advance booking with the Duty Officer.

See your named star from here

Copeland's focus is firmly on birds rather than the stars, but its remote island setting, well away from town lights, is the kind of location where a clear night sky and a telescope could still be turned toward the coordinates of a star named through Star Register. Browse other named stars in our catalogue.