There are more than fifty kinds of deer, but only three live in Ireland. The female deer is called a hind, the male is called a stag and the baby is called a fawn. They are herbivores, feeding on grasses, heather and leaves of oak, ivy and holly.

Red Deer (Fia rua)

The red deer is the largest deer, and Ireland's largest wild mammal. The male has large branching antlers which get larger each year. They have a chestnut coloured coat which turns greyish-brown in winter. There used to be lots of red deer in Ireland but most of them were wiped out during the Famine.

Fallow Deer (Fia buí)

Fallow deer were introduced to Ireland by the Normans.They used to hunt them for their meat (called venison) and their fur. They are chestnut coloured with white spots on the flanks. In winter they turn greyish brown and lose their spots.The deer in Dublin's Phoenix Park and Lough Ket Forest Park are fallow deer.

Sika Deer (Fia Seapánach)

The sika is the smallest of the three species found in Ireland. It has a barrel shaped body and short legs. They were brought into Ireland from Japan. In summer the coat is warm brown with creamy spots. In winter the coat is dark brown. You could always recognise them by their white rump patch and tail. As with other deer the mating season is in late autumn. The calf is born in early summer and usually stays with the hind for a year. Then it joins either the stags or stays with the females.

By Elaine Hevey and Michelle Lynch