Concise Bird Guide
Page 3
Oceanodroma leucorhoa
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
European 15cm; Leach’s 21cm. European is tiny, resembling a House Martin from above. Smaller and darker than Leach’s, with rounder wings, a white bar on the underwing and a square tail. Leach’s has longer and more pointed wings and a slightly forked tail. More buoyant, tern-like flight than European, which flaps without gliding.
VOICE
Purring and grunting at night-time at nest sites.
HABITAT
Nest in burrows on islands, but otherwise pelagic.
FOOD AND HABITS
Feed mainly on surface plankton and small fish, which are taken from the water’s surface without alighting.
Gannet
Morus bassanas
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
90cm. Large seabird with long narrow wings that have black tips, a pointed tail, a long and pointed blue-white bill, and a yellow tinge to the back of the neck. Juveniles are dark, becoming lighter as they mature at three years of age.
VOICE
Harsh croaks at nest.
HABITAT
Entirely maritime, only coming to land to breed. In Britain breeds on northern and western coasts in Scotland and Wales. Can be seen offshore almost anywhere, especially when migrating south in autumn.
FOOD AND HABITS
Diet almost exclusively fish, which are caught by spectacular arrow-shaped plunge-dives from heights of 15–30m. Nests in dense colonies on cliffs and rocky islands.
Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carbo
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
90cm. Very dark seabird with a white throat and cheek patches, black-bronze upperparts and blue-black underparts. White thigh patch in breeding season, when some birds also have a white head. Swims low in the water. On land ‘heraldic’ pose with wings held out is characteristic. Sexes are similar; juvenile is brown.
VOICE
At nest makes guttural noises.
HABITAT
Present throughout the year on coast; sometimes inland on islands on lakes and rivers.
FOOD AND HABITS
Eats fish almost exclusively, catching them by diving. Nests in colonies, usually on rocks on coast.
Shag
Phalacrocorax aristotelis
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
75cm. Similar to Cormorant except in full breeding plumage, when Shag has a greener sheen and a quiff on its head. There is also a thick yellow gape reaching beyond the eye, there are no white patches and the forehead is steeper than that of a Cormorant.
VOICE
Harsh croaks on breeding ground.
HABITAT
Year-round resident of rocky coasts and nearby seas. Very unusual inland, unlike Cormorant. Local along coasts of Europe, north-west Russia and North Africa.
FOOD AND HABITS
Feeds on fish, which are taken mostly by diving from the surface. Semi-colonial or solitary breeding bird.
Grey Heron
Ardea cinerea
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
95cm. Very large and mainly grey, with black-and-white markings. Breeding plumage includes long black plumes on head. Neck is tucked back in flight; wingbeats are slow and ponderous.
VOICE
Flight call a hoarse croaking ‘kraark’ and ‘chraa’; bill-clapping at nest.
HABITAT
Year round in marshes, ponds, lakes, rivers, canals, flooded fields and estuaries throughout Europe.
FOOD AND HABITS
Feeds on fish, amphibians, small mammals, insects and reptiles. Hunts by stalking slowly through shallow water, or standing motionless waiting for prey to come within reach, when it strikes with lightning speed. Nests in colonies, usually high in tall trees, in a huge nest.
Little Egret
Egretta garzetta
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
60cm. A very graceful white heron. Black bill and black legs with yellow toes. Long white plumes on nape and back in breeding plumage.
VOICE
Flight call is a harsh ‘ktchar’.
HABITAT
Estuaries, marshes, rivers, saline lagoons and other shallow water bodies. Local in southern and central Europe. Increasingly common in Britain and Ireland since the 1990s, and now a common resident along coast in much of England and Wales.
FOOD AND HABITS
Diet consists of various animals such as small fish, amphibians and insects. Nests colonially in bushes near wetlands.
Bittern
Botaurus stellaris
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
75cm. Plumage brown marbled and striped with buff and black, offering good camouflage against dead reeds in its habitat. Freezes in an upright position when alarmed.
VOICE
In spring male utters a far-carrying booming ‘woomb’ or ‘oo-hoo-oomb’, like a foghorn, mainly at night. Call in flight a barking ‘cow’.
HABITAT
Large freshwater reed beds year-round in much of central Europe. Rarely breeds in Britain, and more widespread in winter.
FOOD AND HABITS
Diet consists of fish, frogs, insects, small mammals and birds, and snakes. Hunts by walking slowly among plants, lifting its feet high with each step. Nest a reed platform among reeds. Declined alarmingly in the 1990s, but recent successful conservation measures have resulted in an encouraging increase in the population.
Spoonbill
Platalea leucorodia
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
85cm. Unmistakable large white bird with a long flat bill that broadens at the tip.
HABITAT
On the Continent breeds in large reed beds around shallow wetlands in south and the Netherlands. Winters in western Europe and Africa. In Britain most likely at one of east coast nature reserves in spring or autumn; in winter a few mainly on southern estuaries.
FOOD AND HABITS
Feeds on molluscs by sieving water with side-to-side head movement. Nests colonially in platform nests erected in large reed beds. Rare in Britain and of European conservation concern.
Red Kite
Milvus milvus
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
61cm. Grey head, body russet above and below, white patch on underwing and deeply forked tail, which is twisted and turned in flight.
VOICE
Mewing call, higher-pitched than Common Buzzard’s.
HABITAT
Deciduous woodland and open countryside. British population (Wales only) augmented by recent successful reintroductions in England, Scotland and Ireland.
FOOD AND HABITS
Feeds chiefly on earthworms, and also mammals (especially rabbits), birds and carrion. Nests in trees.
Hen Harrier
Circus cyaneus
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
45cm. Slimmer build and narrower wings than Marsh Harrier. Male grey with white underparts.
VOICE
Display call ‘tchik-ikikikik’.
HABITAT
Moorland, farmland and marshes. Scarce in Britain. Breeds in small numbers on treeless moorlands; more widespread in winter, frequently on coast.
FOOD AND HABITS
Diet includes small mammals, birds, reptiles, insects and carrion. Nest a grassy platform on the ground.
SIMILAR SPECIES
Montagu’s Harrier (C. pygargus). Slighter and rarer than Hen Harrier, with more pointed wings. Underparts speckled with brown. Voice higher than Hen Harrier’s. Summer visitor breeding in a few sites mainly in eastern England.
Marsh Harrier
Circus aeruginosus
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
52cm. Largest European harrier. Usually dark brown above with buff shoulders and head. Male has a grey tail and grey secondaries. Often flies with wings held in a shallow ‘V’.
VOICE
Two-note display call, ‘kweeoo’.
HABITAT
Reed beds and marshes. Summer visitor to central and eastern Europe, including Britain; resident year-round in south.
FOOD AND HABITS
Eats small mammals, frogs, and birds and their eggs. Hunts by systematically quartering the ground. Nests in reed beds.
Common Buzzard
Buteo buteo
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
52cm. Large with broad rounded wings and a short tail. Usually dark brown above with variable amounts of white below; sometimes with a dark carpal patch.
VOICE
Mewing cry, ‘peeioo’.
HABITAT
Moorland and agricultural land. Year-round resident across much of Europe; summer visitor to far north.
FOOD AND HABITS
Feeds mainly on small mammals, which it catches with a low-flying pounce; also carrion. Soars on V-shaped wings. Nest is a bulky structure of twigs, usually erected in a tree.
SIMILAR SPECIES
Rough-legged Buzzard (B. lagopus), 54cm long, has a white tail with a broad black band near the tip. Breeds in mountains in northern Europe, wintering in open areas south to Britain (mainly east coast) and Black Sea. Honey Buzzard (Pernis apivorus), 54cm long, has a smaller head than the Common Buzzard, and soars on flat wings. Feeds mainly on wasps, digging out their nests. Summer visitor to much of Europe; scarce in Britain. Winters in Africa.
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisus
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
35cm. Wings blunt and broad. Male much smaller than female, and has a blue-grey head and back, and breast barred with rusty-red. Female has grey-brown barring on the breast and a pale ‘eyebrow’.
VOICE
Monotonous ringing call near nest.
HABITAT
Woodland, parks, gardens and hedgerows. Breeds across Europe. British populations are mainly resident.
FOOD AND HABITS
Small birds are the main food of Sparrowhawks, which hunt by ambushing their prey. Nest a platform of twigs high up in tree canopy.
Northern Goshawk
Accipiter gentilis
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
55cm. Similar to Sparrowhawk, but much larger and rarer. Male grey-brown above with white underparts barred with black. Juvenile brown above with buff underparts vertically streaked with darker brown.
VOICE
Call ‘kyow-kyow-kyow’ and drawn-out ‘peeeyee’.
HABITAT
Lives deep in dense forests across much of Europe. Rare resident in Britain.
FOOD AND HABITS
Diet consists mainly of small mammals and birds. Nest a platform of twigs high up in canopy.
Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
Length 85 cm. Adult rich dark brown with a paler head and neck. Tail long and broad; bill massive and hooked. Wingspan more than 2m. Rarely vocal; call a rough ‘kaah’. Inhabits remote European mountains and forests. In Britain mainly in southern and eastern Scotland. Diet includes rodents, rabbits, carrion, reptiles, birds, fish and large insects. Territory may be 155sq km for pair. Nest a massive branch structure on a high rocky ledge or in a tree. Widespread but never numerous.
White-tailed Eagle
Haliaetus albicilla
Length 85 cm. Adult massive. Mainly brown with paler head and neck, yellow bill and distinctive white tail. Broad ‘barn door’ wings. Tail and bill darker in juvenile. Inhabits old forests near large wetlands in Europe. In Britain reintroduced to Scotland and Ireland; a rare breeder. Diet includes fish, birds and carrion. Nest huge, of sticks in a tree or on a coastal cliff.
Osprey
Pandion haliaetus
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
55cm. Large and graceful fish-eating bird of prey that has dark brown upperparts and white underparts. Long narrow wings are held angled in flight.
VOICE
Call a short shrill whistle.
HABITAT
Lakes, lochs and rivers; reservoirs on passage. Uncommon in Britain; breeds in Scotland, and in smaller numbers in Wales and northern England. May be seen at almost any large body of fresh water during spring and autumn migration.
FOOD AND HABITS
Feeds on fish, which it catches by plunge-diving from 10–30m. Flies holding fish in talons in line with its own head and tail. Nests in tall trees.
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculus
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
34cm. Distinctive long tail and pointed wings. Male has a grey head, black-tipped grey tail and dark-flecked russet back. Female and juvenile lack the grey head, and have a brown tail with narrow bars, and more dark flecks on the back.
VOICE
Noisy at nest-site; rasping ‘kee-kee-kee-kee’ call.
HABITAT
Farmland, moorland and other open areas. Breeds in cities and towns; may be seen flying over gardens. Resident across Europe; northern and eastern European populations migrate during autumn.
FOOD AND HABITS
Hovers above grassland or perches on trees and pylons, ready to drop down on rodents in grass. Also feeds on small birds, large insects and lizards. Lays eggs in a hole or on a bare ledge.
Merlin
Falco columbarius
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
29cm. Small and compact falcon with short pointed wings. Male blue-grey above and buff with dark spots below, with indistinct moustaches. Female and juvenile brown above.
VOICE
Calls are ‘kee-kee-kee’.
HABITAT
British breeding population is at the south-west limit of the species’ European range; thinly scattered across upland moorland from south-west England north to Shetland. Often found on coast in winter. Nowhere common.
FOOD AND HABITS
Feeds on small birds, which it hunts in fast flight close to the ground. Nest usually on the ground, among heather.
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
45cm. Large and compact falcon with a heavy build. Adults have strong black moustaches and horizontal barring on underparts, and are bluish steely-grey above. Female larger than male. Largest British falcon.
VOICE
Calls are ‘kee-kee-kee’.
HABITAT
Cliffs, mountains, towns and open areas throughout Europe. Breeds on cliffs, rock faces and high buildings.
FOOD AND HABITS
Feeds on birds, including feral pigeons. Circles high up waiting for prey to fly below, then plunges at high speed in pursuit. Eggs laid in a bare scrape.
Hobby
Falco subbuteo
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
32cm. Dashing little falcon that looks like a large swift in flight. Dark slaty-grey above with dark moustaches on white cheeks and throat, and red thighs.
VOICE
A repeated clear ‘kew-kew-kew’.
HABITAT
Mostly heathlands, where it often nests in pine trees. Summer visitor to Britain.
FOOD AND HABITS
Feeds on small birds, and large insects such as dragonflies, which are often eaten in flight. Usually nests in an abandoned crow’s nest.
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticus
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
24cm. A secretive bird that is often hidden in reeds and more often heard than seen. Grey underparts, white-barred flanks, a red bill and a pointed tail that is usually held erect.
VOICE
Pig-like squeaking and grunting, and a high-pitched ‘kip-kip’. Male display call ‘kurp kurp kurp’, female ‘tchik-tchik’.
HABITAT
Reed beds and other densely vegetated wetland. Widespread in Europe; summer visitor in north.
FOOD AND HABITS
Omnivorous. Diet consists mainly of small animals such as worms, molluscs, shrimps, crayfish, spiders, insects, amphibians and fish; also feeds on plant matter. Nest a cup of vegetation, usually on a thick stand of reeds or rushes.
Spotted Crake
Porzana porzana
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
21cm. Smaller than Water Rail, with green legs and buff und
ertail coverts. Head mainly grey, underparts grey-brown with white barring, and upperparts streaked with dark brown and finely spotted with white.
VOICE
Whip-like ‘quip, quip, quip’ call at night during breeding season.
HABITAT
Occurs on marshes and flooded meadows throughout Europe except far north. Winters in Africa and India. Rare and difficult to see in Britain.
FOOD AND HABITS
Probes mud and shallow water with bill to pick up invertebrates; also hunts by sight. Nests in marsh vegetation.
Corncrake
Crex crex
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
23cm. Another rail that is rarely seen. Breast greyish, flanks barred rufous and rusty-brown wing coverts.
VOICE
Display call a repeated relentless wooden rasping, ‘rrrp-rrrp’, often uttered at night.
HABITAT
In Europe occurs on wet meadows with tall grass and grain fields. Winters in Africa. Declining in Britain and very rare outside Western Isles.
FOOD AND HABITS
Diet includes insects, spiders and other invertebrates. Builds nest from dead stems and leaves in dense vegetation. Declining everywhere due to modern farming practices such as mechanical mowing of fields, in which it nests.
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropus
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
30cm. Distinctive slaty plumage, dark brown wings, white undertail coverts, yellow-tipped red bill and green legs. Flicks tail as it walks with a careful tread. Juvenile is brown.