Rose-ringed parakeet, Psittacula krameri. Despite it’s beautiful plumage and silhouette in flight, the rose-ringed parakeet (or ringneck parrot) has a hard time winning hearts. Maybe it’s that screechy voice. When it began to establish itself in the UK there were concerns that it would have a detrimental effect on our native wild birds. Recent research suggests their impact is not significant. They […]
Song thrush, Turdus philomelos. A familiar and popular garden songbird whose numbers are declining seriously, especially on farmland making it a Red List species. Smaller and browner than a mistle thrush with smaller spotting. Its habit of repeating song phrases distinguish it from singing blackbirds. It likes to eat snails which it breaks into by smashing them against a stone […]
Sparrowhawk, Accipiter nisus. Sparrowhawks are small birds of prey adapted for hunting birds in confined spaces like dense woodland and gardens. Females and young birds have brown back and wings, and brown bars underneath. Males have bluish-grey back and wings. Females, being larger than males, as with all birds of prey, can catch birds up to pigeon size. Some sparrowhawks catch […]
Spotted flycatcher, Muscicapa striata. At first glance, spotted flycatchers might seem dull brownish-grey and – well – a bit boring. It’s better to think of them as beautiful in an understated way. Watch them for a short period and you’ll be charmed by their fly-catching antics. Spotted flycatchers fly from a high perch, dash out to grab a flying insect and […]
Whitethroat, Sylvia communis. The whitethroat is a medium-sized warbler, about the size of a great tit. It has quite a long tail which it flicks and cocks as it darts rapidly in and out of cover. The male has a grey head, a white throat and a brown back, and is buff underneath. It is a summer visitor and passage […]
Woodpigeon, Columba palumbus. The UK’s largest and commonest pigeon, it is largely grey with a white neck patch and white wing patches, clearly visible in flight. Although shy in the countryside it can be tame and approachable in towns and cities. Its cooing call is a familiar sound in woodlands as is the loud clatter of its wings when it flies […]
Wren, Troglodytes troglodytes. The wren is a tiny brown bird, although it is heavier, less slim, than the even smaller goldcrest. It is dumpy, almost rounded, with a fine bill, quite long legs and toes, very short round wings and a short, narrow tail which is sometimes cocked up vertically. For such a small bird it has a remarkably loud voice. […]
