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British Birds - Coots, Crakes, Rails and Plovers
It first bred in the UK in 1938 but what bird is it?

British Birds - Coots, Crakes, Rails and Plovers

Coots, crakes and rails all belong in the Rallidae family. Members of the Rallidae are found on every continent except Antarctica. There are numerous island species. The most common habitats are marshland or dense forest. Plovers are found throughout the world. A group of plovers may be referred to as a stand, wing or congregation.

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1.
What is the name of this bird?
Photograph courtesy of http://www.marekszczepanek.pl/
Water Rail
Eurasian Dotterel
Little Ringed Plover
Ringed Plover
  • Group: Plovers and Lapwings
  • Binomial: Charadrius dubius
  • Order: Charadriiformes
  • Family: Charadriidae
  • Status: Breeding Summer Visitor
  • It first bred in the UK in 1938 and since then has successfully colonised a large part of England and Wales thanks to man-made habitats such as gravel pits.
  • Both male and female take turns to incubate the eggs.
2.
What is the name of this bird?
Photograph courtesy of http://www.fws.gov/
Grey Plover
Coot
Eurasian Golden Plover
Common Moorhen
  • Group: Plovers and Lapwings
  • Binomial: Pluvialis squatarola
  • Order: Charadriiformes
  • Family: Charadriidae
  • Status: Winter Visitor And Passage Migrant
  • It makes regular non-stop transcontinental flights over Asia, Europe and North America.
  • It only lands occasionally if forced down by severe weather.
3.
What is the name of this bird?
Photograph courtesy of http://photo-natur.de/
Coot
Ringed Plover
Corn Crake
Northern Lapwing
  • Group: Plovers and Lapwings
  • Binomial: Vanellus vanellus
  • Order: Charadriiformes
  • Family: Charadriidae
  • Status: Resident Breeding Species
  • This is a vocal bird in the breeding season, with constant calling as the crazed tumbling display flight is performed by the male.
  • The species prefers to feed at night when there are moonlit nights.
4.
What is the name of this bird?
Photograph courtesy of Rachel Davies
Water Rail
Eurasian Dotterel
Ringed Plover
Corn Crake
  • Group: Rails, Crakes and Coots
  • Binomial: Crex crex
  • Order: Gruiformes
  • Family: Rallidae
  • Status: Breeding Summer Visitor
  • Lives on dry land.
  • The male's advertising call is a loud, repetitive, grating krek krek.
  • The call can be heard from 1.5 km (1 mile) away, and serves to establish the breeding territory and attract females.
5.
What is the name of this bird?
Photograph courtesy of J M Garg
Common Moorhen
Lapwing
Coot
Little Ringed Plover
  • Group: Rails, Crakes and Coots
  • Binomial: Gallinula chloropus
  • Order: Gruiformes
  • Family: Rallidae
  • Status: Resident Breeding Species
  • Tend to be solitary.
  • Though they appear placid, fighting is common and often prolonged.
  • Each bird strikes the other violently with the feet and even attempts to push or drag them underwater.
6.
What is the name of this bird?
Photograph courtesy of Dr Helwig Brunner
Grey Plover
Eurasian Dotterel
Ringed Plover
Water Rail
  • Group: Plovers and Lapwings
  • Binomial: Charadrius morinellus
  • Order: Charadriiformes
  • Family: Charadriidae
  • Status: Breeding Summer Visitor
  • This bird is unusual in that the adult female is brighter than the male - an indication of their role-reversal in raising the young.
  • The female's song is a simple repetitive whistle.
7.
What is the name of this bird?
Photograph courtesy of Martial2010
Lapwing
Water Rail
Corn Crake
Common Moorhen
  • Group: Rails, Crakes and Coots
  • Binomial: Rallus aquaticus
  • Order: Gruiformes
  • Family: Rallidae
  • Status: Resident Breeding Species
  • It is a vocal species which gives its main call, known as 'sharming', throughout the year.
  • This is a series of grunts followed by a high-pitched piglet-like squeal and ending in more grunts.
8.
What is the name of this bird?
Photograph courtesy of http://www.bjornfree.com/galleries.html
Eurasian Golden Plover
Water Rail
Ringed Plover
Little Ringed Plover
  • Group: Plovers and Lapwings
  • Binomial: Pluvialis apricaria
  • Order: Charadriiformes
  • Family: Charadriidae
  • Status: Winter Visitor And Passage Migrant
  • These birds will feed by moonlight.
  • They eat insects, crustaceans and berries.
  • They typically stand upright and run in short bursts.
9.
What is the name of this bird?
Photograph courtesy of Myosotis Scorpioides
Little Ringed Plover
Ringed Plover
Corn Crake
Common Moorhen
  • Group: Plovers and Lapwings
  • Binomial: Charadrius hiaticula
  • Order: Charadriiformes
  • Family: Charadriidae
  • Status: Resident Breeding Species And Summer Visitor
  • A dumpy, short-legged wading bird.
  • If a potential predator approaches the nest, the adult will walk away from the scrape, calling to attract the intruder and feigning a broken wing.
10.
What is the name of this bird?
Photograph courtesy of R H Walpole
Coot
Grey Plover
Common Moorhen
Water Rail
  • Group: Rails, Crakes and Coots
  • Binomial: Fulica atra
  • Order: Gruiformes
  • Family: Rallidae
  • Status: Resident Breeding Species
  • It can walk and run vigorously on strong legs, and has long toes that are well adapted to soft, uneven surfaces.
  • These birds are omnivorous, taking mainly plant material, but also small animals and eggs.
Author:  Sarah Garratty

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