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'Yaffle' was an English folk name for this bird. What do we know it as now?

British Birds - Garden Birds 05 - Rare

Rare garden birds can be blink-and-you-miss-it visitors. This quiz helps you notice shape, sound and behaviour so you can identify surprising sightings with care.

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Fascinating Fact:

Golden orioles are scarce visitors, most often reported in spring, and they are more often heard than seen because they keep to leafy trees.

In Specialist Nature, rare garden birds are the unexpected species that only turn up now and then, often linked to migration, weather, and local habitats. Some pause briefly to refuel, while others stay hidden in cover, feeding quietly and moving on before you get a clear view. A good ID usually comes from combining several clues, such as size and shape, bill type, flight style, what the bird is eating, and where it is perched. Even a quick note about the time of day and the bird’s behaviour can make a huge difference when you look it up later.

Key Terms

Vagrant: A bird seen outside its usual range, often after unusual weather or during migration.
Plumage: A bird’s feathers and their colours or patterns, which can change with age or season.
Canopy: The leafy upper layer of trees, where many birds feed and stay well hidden.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

How do I tell a golden oriole from a yellowhammer?

A golden oriole is larger and more thrush-sized, with a stronger, more direct flight and bold contrast in the wings. A yellowhammer is smaller, bunting-shaped, and often feeds on the ground or low hedges.

When are rare birds most likely to appear in UK gardens?

Rare birds are most likely during migration seasons, especially when weather changes force birds to stop and feed. Local food supplies, storms, and winds can all increase the chance of unusual visitors.

What should I do if I think I have seen a rare bird in my garden?

Write down what you noticed straight away, including size, colours, calls, and behaviour. If you can, take a photo or short video, then check trusted bird guides and consider reporting it to local bird groups or recorders.

Try These Related Quizzes

To see a larger image, click on the picture.

1 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Emberiza Schoeniclus

Common Starling

House Sparrow

Dunnock

Reed Bunting

Group: Buntings and American Sparrows
Binomial: Emberiza schoeniclus
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Emberizidae
Status: Resident Breeding Species
Usually delivers its song from a perch at the top of a tree or bush.
The nest is a cup of grass and moss built on the ground.
Fine grasses and hair are used to line the cup.

2 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Andrei Stroe

Willow Tit

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Green Woodpecker

Marsh Tit

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.

3 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Randen Pederson

Feral Pigeon

Black Redstart

Northern Gannet

Bohemian Waxwing

Group: Waxwings
Binomial: Bombycilla garrulus
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Bombycillidae
Status: Winter Visitor
This species is irruptive, moving in unpredictable migration patterns from year to year.
Birds in winter can be very confiding and will come into gardens for berries, a favourite being the rowan.

4 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of AlanVernon

Yellowhammer

Common Starling

Lapland Bunting

House Sparrow

Group: Buntings and American Sparrows
Binomial: Emberiza citrinella
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Emberizidae
Status: Resident Breeding Species
Common in all sorts of open areas.
Often seen perched on top of a hedge or bush, singing its high-pitched song.
The familiar song of the male is often described as 'A little bit of bread and no cheese'.

5 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Avicedo

Common Buzzard

Golden Eagle

Northern Goshawk

European Honey-buzzard

Group: Buzzards, Kites and allies
Binomial: Buteo buteo
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Accipitridae
Status: Resident Breeder And Passage Migrant
Pairs mate for life.
The male performs a ritual aerial display before the beginning of spring.
This spectacular display is known as 'the roller coaster'.

6 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Neil Phillips

European Robin

Blackbird

Common Redstart

Mistle Thrush

Group: Thrushes
Binomial: Turdus viscivorus
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Turdidae
Status: Resident Breeding Species
The alarm call is like a football rattle or machine gun.
Their dreamy song is loud and far reaching and often heard during stormy weather, hence its alternative name of Stormcock.

7 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Pawel Kuzniar

Eurasian Nuthatch

Grey Heron

Common Treecreeper

Northern Gannet

Group: Treecreepers
Binomial: Certhia familiaris
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Certhiidae
Status: Resident Breeding Species
It climbs up trees mouse-like and usually starts at the bottom and works upwards in a spiral around the trunk.
Both call and song are high-pitched and not audible to everyone.
Small and very active bird.

8 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Stawek Staszczuk

Blue Tit

Crested Tit

Long-tailed Tit

Marsh Tit

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.

9 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Katie Fuller

Ring Ouzel

Goldcrest

Common Pied Oystercatcher

Shore Lark

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.

10 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Kclama

Grey Wagtail

Barn Swallow

Pied Wagtail

Water Pipit

Group: Wagtails and Pipits
Binomial: Motacilla cinerea
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Motacillidae
Status: Resident Breeding Species
Their diet comprises insects, such as midges and ants, which they find alongside rivers, etc.
They will also take water snails and tadpoles from shallow water.
The young are fed by both parents.