British Birds - Miscellaneous 04

Very uncommon in the UK until the mid 1900's - now one of our most often seen birds. Do you recognise it? Question 3 will confirm your thoughts

British Birds - Miscellaneous 04

Many species undertake long distance annual migrations, and many more perform shorter irregular movements. Birds are social; they communicate using visual signals and through calls and songs, and participate in social behaviours, including cooperative breeding and hunting, flocking, and mobbing of predators.

Which of these options do you prefer?

  1. What is the name of this bird?

    Photograph courtesy of www.bjornfree.com/galleries.html
    • Group: Oystercatchers
    • Binomial: Haematopus ostralegus
    • Order: Charadriiformes
    • Family: Haematopodidae
    • Status: Resident Breeding Species
    • They are obvious and noisy plover-like birds, with black and white plumage, red legs and strong broad red bills.
    • The bills are used for smashing or prising open molluscs such as mussels or for finding earthworms.

  2. What is the name of this bird?

    Photograph courtesy of http://photo-natur.de/
    • Group: Larks
    • Binomial: Eremophila alpestris
    • Order: Passeriformes
    • Family: Alaudidae
    • Status: Scarce Winter Visitor And Passage Migrant
    • This is a bird of open ground.
    • They are almost exclusively coastal birds.
    • Watch for them shuffling their way across shingle and sandy beaches.

  3. What is the name of this bird?

    Photograph courtesy of Horia Varlan
    • Group: Pigeons and Doves
    • Binomial: Streptopelia decaocto
    • Order: Columbiformes
    • Family: Columbidae
    • Status: Resident Breeding Species
    • Adults have a black and white collar around the back of the neck but this is missing in young birds.
    • Very uncommon in the UK until the mid 1900's - now one of our most often seen birds.

  4. What is the name of this bird?

    Photograph courtesy of http://photo-natur.de/
    • Group: Thrushes
    • Binomial: Turdus torquatus
    • Order: Passeriformes
    • Family: Turdidae
    • Status: Breeding Summer Visitor
    • It is primarily a bird of the uplands, breeding mainly in steep sided valleys from near sea level in Scotland up to 1,200m in the Cairngorms.
    • The young are fed a diet consisting mainly of earthworms and beetles.

  5. What is the name of this bird?

    Photograph courtesy of http://www.photomecan.eu/
    • Group: Old World Warblers
    • Binomial: Sylvia curruca
    • Order: Passeriformes
    • Family: Sylviidae
    • Status: Breeding Summer Visitor
    • Unlike many typical warblers, the sexes are almost identical.
    • It is quite skulking and often only noticed when it gives its rattling song, or 'tacking' call.
    • Best located by its song and calls.

  6. What is the name of this bird?

    Photograph courtesy of Terry Ross
    • Group: Osprey
    • Binomial: Pandion haliaetus
    • Order: Falconiformes
    • Family: Pandionidae
    • Status: Breeding Summer Visitor
    • Sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle.
    • It is unusual in that it is a single living species that occurs nearly worldwide.
    • Has vision that is adapted to detecting underwater objects from the air.

  7. What is the name of this bird?

    Photograph courtesy of 33138035@N07
    • Group: Kinglets
    • Binomial: Regulus regulus
    • Order: Passeriformes.
    • Family: Regulidae
    • Status: Resident Breeding Species
    • Called the 'king of the birds' in European folklore.
    • The female is reluctant to leave the nest when disturbed, and has been recorded to stay in the nest when it is moved, or even when it is being held.

  8. What is the name of this bird?

    Photograph courtesy of Sergey Yeliseev
    • Group: Shrikes
    • Binomial: Lanius excubitor
    • Order: Passeriformes
    • Family: Laniidae
    • Status: Scarce Winter Visitor
    • They are very territorial so you're unlikely to see more than one at once.
    • Are often 'mobbed' by other birds which recognise them as dangerous predators.
    • The black mask and grey plumage are distinctive.

  9. What is the name of this bird?

    Photograph courtesy of Daniel Pettersson
    • Group: Larks
    • Binomial: Alauda arvensis
    • Order: Passeriformes
    • Family: Alaudidae
    • Status: Resident Breeding Species
    • It is renowned for its song flight.
    • The male bird rises vertically from the ground high in the air where it remains stationary for several minutes on fluttering wings before parachuting back down to the ground.

  10. What is the name of this bird?

    Photograph courtesy of Unknown
    • Group: Finches
    • Binomial: Carduelis flavirostris
    • Order: Passeriformes
    • Family: Fringillidae
    • Status: Resident Breeding Species
    • Treeless moorland is favoured for breeding.
    • This species can form large flocks outside the breeding season, sometimes mixed with other finches on coasts and salt marshes.
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