KS1 (Age 5-7)KS2 (Age 7-11)11 Plus (Age 7-11)KS3 (Age 11-14)GCSE (Age 14-17)PSHE A.I.ESL Spanish Specialist Games

Need help with British Birds - Miscellaneous 03? Ask our AI Tutor!

AI Tutor - Lucy

Connecting with Tutor...

Please wait while we establish connection

Hi! I'm Lucy, your AI tutor. How can I help you with British Birds - Miscellaneous 03 today?

now

This brown, long-tailed bird, is usually seen flying rapidly across the top of a reedbed. Do you know what it is?

British Birds - Miscellaneous 03

British birds are not always the obvious garden regulars. This quiz explores some “miscellaneous” species by focusing on clues like shape, song, habitat, and seasonal behaviour.

Explore the Topic →

(quiz starts below)

Fascinating Fact:

Pied flycatchers are summer visitors that breed mainly in western parts of the UK, and they spend the winter in West Africa.

In Specialist Nature, bird ID is all about stacking small clues. Look at the bird’s silhouette, how it moves, what it eats, and where you see it. Season matters too, because some species appear only for a short window each year. The “miscellaneous” category often includes birds that are local, easily overlooked, or confused with similar-looking species at a quick glance.

Key Terms

Field mark: A visible feature that helps identify a bird, such as a wing bar, eye stripe, or tail shape.
Passerine: A perching bird, often a small songbird, which makes up a large number of UK bird species.
Territory: An area a bird defends for feeding, nesting, or attracting a mate, especially in spring and early summer.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

How can I identify a pied flycatcher?

A pied flycatcher is a small woodland bird. Males are strongly black-and-white in the breeding season, while females are greyer-brown. Look for neat contrast, a compact shape, and quick, darting flights from a perch.

Where do pied flycatchers breed in the UK?

They breed mainly in mature woodlands, especially in western upland areas where there are old trees and natural holes or nest boxes. They are much less common in many lowland towns and cities.

What do flycatchers eat in the UK?

Flycatchers mostly eat insects and other small invertebrates. They often watch from a perch, then swoop out to grab prey in the air or pick it from leaves and branches.

Try These Related Quizzes

To see a larger image, click on the picture.

1 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Kai Schreiber

White Stork

Bearded Tit

Common Chiffchaff

Whinchat

Group: Storks
Binomial: Ciconia ciconia
Order: Ciconiiformes
Family: Ciconiidae
Status: Scarce Migrant, Formerly Bred
This conspicuous bird has given rise to many legends across its range, of which the best-known is the story of babies being brought by them.
They rely on the uplift of air thermals to soar and glide long distances.

2 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of www.wolframs-naturfotos.de

Yellow-legged Gull

Whinchat

Bearded Tit

Wood Pigeon

Group: Babblers
Binomial: Panurus biarmicus
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Timaliidae
Status: Resident Breeding Species
A brown, long-tailed bird, usually seen flying rapidly across the top of a reedbed.
They are sociable and noisy, their 'ping' calls often being the first clue to their presence.

3 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Andrew Easton

Yellow-legged Gull

Bearded Tit

Wood Pigeon

Spotted Flycatcher

Group: Old World Flycatchers
Binomial: Muscicapa striata
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Muscicapidae
Status: Breeding Summer Visitor
They like to perch conspicuously and watch for passing insects, flying out to snap them up, before returning to the perch.
Best looked for along woodland edges and in parks and gardens.

4 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Hans Hillewaert

Spotted Flycatcher

Common Chiffchaff

Turtle Dove

Bearded Tit

Group: Old World Warblers
Binomial: Phylloscopus collybita
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sylviidae
Status: Breeding Summer Visitor
Its song is one of the first avian signs that spring has returned.
The male is highly territorial during the breeding season, with a core territory typically 20 metres (66 ft) across, which is fiercely defended.

5 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Simon Pierre Barrette

Spotted Flycatcher

Wood Pigeon

Mealy Redpoll

Common Chiffchaff

Group: Finches
Binomial: Carduelis flammea
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Fringillidae
Status: Winter Visitor And Passage Migrant
It is streaky brown above and whitish below with black streaks.
It shows two white lines on the wing.
Eats small seeds from birch, alder and spruce, and insects.

6 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Tristan Ferne

Mealy Redpoll

Wood Pigeon

Bearded Tit

Pied Flycatcher

Group: Pigeons and Doves
Binomial: Columba palumbus
Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columbidae
Status: Resident Breeding Species
Birds have a prominent white area around their neck, eyes are bright yellow and legs and bills are pink
On the ground they "Waddle"!
In frosty weather huge flocks devour farmers crops

7 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of David King

Common Chiffchaff

Spotted Flycatcher

Pied Flycatcher

Turtle Dove

Group: Pigeons and Doves
Binomial: Streptopelia turtur
Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columbidae
Status: Breeding Summer Visitor
Perhaps because of Biblical references (especially the well-known verse from the Song of Songs), its mournful voice and the fact that it forms strong pair bonds, these birds have become emblems of devoted love.

8 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Alvesgaspar

Yellow-legged Gull

Wood Pigeon

Mealy Redpoll

Common Chiffchaff

Group: Gulls
Binomial: Larus michahellis
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae
Status: Non-Breeding Late-Summer Visitor And Passage Migrant
Has only recently been recognised as a species in its own right.
Can be found on reservoirs, on rubbish tips, in fields, on coastal marshes and in large evening gull roosts on reservoirs.

9 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Mark Medcalf

Pied Flycatcher

Spotted Flycatcher

White Stork

Mealy Redpoll

Group: Old World Flycatchers
Binomial: Ficedula hypoleuca
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Muscicapidae
Status: Breeding Summer Visitor
They prefer mature oak woodland, but also breed in mature upland ash and birch woods.
They also like lichens that grow on trees.
Nest boxes are not likely to be required.