British Birds - Tits, Treecreepers and Woodpeckers

The surest way to distinguish this bird is by the white patch on the back of its neck. Does this help you now? Play question 2 and find out!

British Birds - Tits, Treecreepers and Woodpeckers

Great tits and blue tits learned to break open the foil caps sealing bottles of milk to get at the cream floating on top. As their name implies, treecreepers climb over the surface of trees in search of food. Most species of woodpecker live in forests or woodland habitats, although a few species are known to live in treeless areas such as rocky hillsides and deserts.

Which of these options do you prefer?

  1. What is the name of this bird?

    Photograph courtesy of http://photo-natur.de/
    • Group: Long-tailed Tits
    • Binomial: Aegithalos caudatus
    • Order: Passeriformes
    • Family: Aegithalidae
    • Status: Resident Breeding Species
    • Adult birds are predominatly pinkish-white
    • The longest tail of any British bird in relation to its body
    • Scientifically this is NOT in the same family as the Blue Tit and the Great Tit

  2. What is the name of this bird?

    Photograph courtesy of Tom Tarrant (Aviceda)
    • Group: Tits
    • Binomial: Parus ater
    • Order: Passeriformes
    • Family: Paridae
    • Status: Resident Breeding Species
    • The smallest tit in the whole of Europe
    • Behaviour is similar to that of Blue tits but there is no blue in its plumage
    • The surest way to distinguish the bird from other tits is by the white patch on the back of its neck

  3. What is the name of this bird?

    Photograph courtesy of Andrei Stroe
    • Group: Woodpeckers
    • Binomial: Picus viridis
    • Order: Piciformes
    • Family: Picidae
    • Status: Resident Breeding Species
    • Spends much of its time feeding on ants on the ground.
    • The tongue is long (10 cm) and has to be curled around its skull.
    • 'Yaffle' was an English folk name for this bird.

  4. What is the name of this bird?

    Photograph courtesy of Steffen Hannert
    • Group: Woodpeckers
    • Binomial: Dendrocopos major
    • Order: Piciformes
    • Family: Picidae
    • Status: Resident Breeding Species
    • It has a very distinctive bouncing flight.
    • The species has recently recolonized Ireland.
    • Spends most of its time clinging to tree trunks and branches.
    • Distinctive spring 'drumming' display.

  5. What is the name of this bird?

    Photograph courtesy of http://www.marekszczepanek.pl/
    • Group: Tits
    • Binomial: Parus montana
    • Order: Passeriformes
    • Family: Paridae
    • Status: Resident Breeding Species
    • Often excavates its own nesting hole, even piercing hard bark.
    • Most nests are cups of felted material, such as fur, hair and wood chips, but feathers are sometimes used.
    • Eggs varies from six to nine.

  6. What is the name of this bird?

    Photograph courtesy of Thermos
    • Group: Woodpeckers
    • Binomial: Dendrocopos minor
    • Order: Piciformes
    • Family: Picidae
    • Status: Resident Breeding Species
    • From its small size and its habit of spending most of its time in the tops of tall trees in woods and parks, this bird is often overlooked, but if sighted on a trunk it may at once be identified by the broad barring on the wings.

  7. What is the name of this bird?

    Photograph courtesy of Mark Medcalf
    • Group: Tits
    • Binomial: Parus cristatus
    • Order: Passeriformes
    • Family: Paridae
    • Status: Resident Breeding Species
    • It is chiefly restricted to the ancient pinewoods of Inverness and Strathspey in Scotland, and seldom strays far from its haunts.
    • Although not shy, it is not always easily approached.

  8. What is the name of this bird?

    Photograph courtesy of Barney Livingston
    • Group: Tits
    • Binomial: Parus major
    • Order: Passeriformes
    • Family: Paridae
    • Status: Resident Breeding Species
    • The largest of the UK tits
    • There is a prominent black stripe down the whole of the front
    • Widely distributed in the UK but not found on the Northern and Western Isles of Scotland

  9. What is the name of this bird?

    Photograph courtesy of Maximilian Dorsch
    • Group: Tits
    • Binomial: Parus caeruleus
    • Order: Passeriformes
    • Family: Paridae
    • Status: Resident Breeding Species
    • Both sexes have similar colouring but the females are slightly paler
    • Smaller than the Great Tit and without the prominent black stripe down its front
    • It does not migrate

  10. What is the name of this bird?

    Photograph courtesy of Stawek Staszczuk
    • Group: Tits
    • Binomial: Parus palustris
    • Order: Passeriformes
    • Family: Paridae
    • Status: Resident Breeding Species
    • The global population includes between 6.1 million and 12 million birds in Europe alone.
    • Individual birds can have more than five songs, which they use interchangeably.
    • The call sounds like a ringing sneeze.
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