Other Song Birds

Bunting (Cirl)

livelinkadmin — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 14:43:03 +0000

The Cirl Bunting is one of our rarest birds and can only be seen in south-west England in Devon. It almost became extinct, but fortunately a rescue plan in 1989 was introduced and farmers left parts of their fields unploughed so that Cirl Buntings could find enough seeds to survive on. Farmers also planted plants that encouraged grasshoppers which Cirl Buntings also like to eat.

The male Cirl Bunting has a striking black and yellow coloured head and face. The top part of its head and chin are black and it has a black stripe that seems to run through each eye. The rest of the face is a bright yellow colour. The male also has a bright yellow coloured breast. The female Cirl Bunting has a brown and duller yellow head and face. The chest and belly of the female are also a dull yellow colour and marked with lots of brown streaks.

Cirl Buntings spend a lot of time on the ground looking for food. They mainly eat grass, chickweed, barley and nettle seeds, but sometimes they will eat beetles, weevils, aphids, flies and bugs. The rattling trill-like songs of these birds can be heard between February and September.

Bunting (Corn)

livelinkadmin — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 14:43:19 +0000

The Corn Bunting is quite a plain-looking bird compared to its relative the Cirl Bunting. It can be found in the east and south of England on farmlands, in the open country and also on weedy wastelands. The Corn Bunting can be recognised in flight because it just lets its legs dangle in the air.

The Corn Bunting is a brown-feathered bird that has a cream-coloured breast streaked with lots of dark brown lines. Its throat is plain cream with no streaks or markings. The Corn Bunting has a light brown cone-shaped beak and two prominent black eyes.

Corn Buntings can often be seen perching on posts, wires and hedgerows where they sing songs. When a Corn Bunting sings, it throws its head back and opens its beak quite wide. The most common song of this bird has a jangling metallic sound to it. It sounds like somebody is literally jangling keys in the air. Corn Buntings also spend a lot of time on the ground looking for seeds, beetles and caterpillars.

Bunting (Reed)

livelinkadmin — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 14:43:48 +0000

The Reed Bunting likes to live amongst water reeds, but over the years some Reed Buntings have moved to drier places such as farmlands and young forest plantations. Reed Buntings can be seen all over England near rivers, on marshes, on grassland and even in gardens.

The male Reed Bunting is more distinctive-looking than the female because it has a black head, throat and chest. It also has a white stripe on either side of its mouth. The female Reed Bunting has a dull brown head and a creamy white throat and chest with brown streaky lines. The female also has a creamy white stripe on either side of the mouth. The upper part of the male is grey and reddish brown and the upper part of the female is just reddish brown.

Reed Buntings often cling to reeds, but they usually sing on the tops of bushes or on the tops of reed stems. Reed Buntings nervously flick their tails when they sing their simple and repetitive songs. They also spend a lot of time in different types of grasses looking for seeds, caterpillars, spiders and beetles.

Dipper

livelinkadmin — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 14:44:08 +0000

The Dipper is also known as the White Throated Dipper and the European Dipper. It is called the ‘Dipper’ because it bobs and dips its head when it stands on rocks in water. However, this dipping often takes place when it feels disturbed or if it is approached too closely. It is not a true aquatic bird like a duck, although it can be found in and near fast-flowing streams and rivers in the north and the south west of England.

The Dipper has a reddish brown head and a white throat and chest. The feathers on its back are a sooty grey-brown colour. It has two small black eyes and white eyelids which are noticeable when the Dipper blinks. It has three toes that face forwards and one toe that faces backwards and although its feet are not webbed, it can still swim across water by paddling with its legs and feet. It can also dive.

The Dipper is usually seen on its own and when it goes looking for food, it walks into the water and keeps walking until its whole head and body vanish from sight. Dippers can find food as deep as fifty centimetres under the water. They often eat water insects and larvae from stoneflies and mayflies. Dippers sing quite sweet warbling songs from October to July.

Dove (Stock)

livelinkadmin — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 14:44:27 +0000

The Stock Dove is also known as the Stock Pigeon and can be found throughout England in parks with mature trees and also near large woods and forests. It can also be found on cliffs and in old buildings or ruins. Many people think that this pigeon is the Feral Pigeon which is often seen in towns and cities.

The Stock Dove is a bluey grey colour and it has a shiny green patch on either side of its neck which is more noticeable in strong light. It has a pinkish red breast and two lines of black feathers on its wings. It has two black eyes and an orange coloured beak.

In winter small flocks of Stock Doves can be seen on freshly cut fields looking for food. Stock Doves often feed on seeds from cereal crops, young shoots and also on goosefoot and buttercup plants. Stock Doves can often be heard singing soft 'ooo-woo-ooo-woo' songs.

Hawfinch

livelinkadmin — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 14:45:39 +0000

The Hawfinch is a member of the Finch family and is the largest finch found in England. It is a shy and secretive bird that likes to spend most of its time hiding in the tops of trees. It can be seen in woodlands, orchards, cemeteries, parks and occasionally in very large gardens. It is classed as a song bird although its song is very rarely heard.

The Hawfinch is a heavy-looking finch that has a large, powerful blue-grey beak which is cone-shaped. It has a large orange-brown coloured head and black feathers around its eyes. It also has black feathers under its beak which make it look like it is wearing a small black bib. It has a rich brown coloured back and a pinky brown breast. The wings are black with a white patch.

Hawfinches are quite sociable birds that can often be seen feeding in groups. They often take seeds from woodland trees such as the Wych Elm, the Beech and the Hornbeam, but they are also very fond of wild cherry seeds. They can easily crack open wild cherry stones with their strong beaks to get to their favourite seeds. In summer they eat insects which are sometimes caught in mid-air.

Pipit (Meadow)

livelinkadmin — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 14:45:56 +0000

The Pipit Meadow is also called the Titlark and can be seen in the south and in the west of England. It can be found in rough grasslands and open country, like moors or heaths, and also in salt marshes. Salt marshes are coastal grasslands which the tide often overflows.

The Pipit Meadow is a small bird that is mainly olive-brown in colour. The upper part of this bird is streaked with darker brown markings and its face is a plain olive-brown colour. It has a pale ring around each eye. Its breast is either a pale grey or a yellowish colour and covered with bold dark spots and streaks. It has a light brown beak which is thin and pointed.

The Pipit Meadow is a song bird that first starts its song whilst on the ground and it continues to sing as it lifts into the air. It rises in the air in a rather fluttery jerky manner and then parachutes back down with its wings half closed and as it does this it sings all the time. The Pipit Meadow eats earthworms, daddy long legs, moths, beetles, spiders and sometimes seeds.

Redpoll (Lesser)

Debbie — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 12:56:12 +0000

The Lesser Redpoll is a small, brown stripy-looking song bird that belongs to the Finch family. It can be found in most places in England, although it is more commonly seen in the north and in the east in birch and alder woods. It is an energetic and active bird that often hangs upside down when it feeds.

The Lesser Redpoll has brown feathers streaked with darker feathers and can easily be recognised because it has a crimson-red patch on its forehead. It also has a black patch under its beak which gives it the appearance of wearing a bib. Its yellow beak is small and almost triangular-shaped and its tail is quite long and fork-shaped at the end. The male Lesser Redpoll also has a crimson-red patch on its breast around April to late May.

Lesser Redpolls are quite sociable birds that often form small flocks. They also join flocks of Siskins. They sometimes sing in flight and as they fly they glide, circle and loop in the air. Lesser Redpolls can also be seen in small groups looking for food such as birch seeds, alder seeds and grass seeds. Sometimes they eat insects found in larch trees.

Thrush (Mistle)

livelinkadmin — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 14:47:37 +0000

The Mistle Thrush is a large-sized member of the Thrush family and can be found throughout the country in woodlands, parks, meadows, heaths and moors. It is sometimes known as the Missel Thrush. Mistle Thrushes like to sing lots of different songs with pauses between their songs. They are also known as ‘Stormcocks’ because they will continue to sing out loud even if the weather is very bad and stormy.

The Mistle Thrush is a stocky-looking bird with a fat belly. It can easily be recognised by its cream coloured breast, tummy and sides that have dark brown spots all over. The spots don’t seem to have any set pattern. It also has grey-brown coloured feathers on the top and a pale grey-brown face. It has a relatively short black-brown beak and a long grey-brown tail.

Mistle Thrushes like to spend a lot of time on the ground looking for food such as beetles, worms, slugs and snails. When these birds are on the ground, they seem to hop for a short distance and then stop. They stop very straight and erect which makes them look very proud indeed. Mistle Thrushes also love to eat berries from hawthorn and holly trees.

Yellowhammer

livelinkadmin — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 14:48:09 +0000

The Yellowhammer is a striking yellow coloured song bird that has quite a long body and a long forked tail. It can be found throughout the country on grassland, fields, heathlands and alongside railway embankments. It can often be seen on the top of a hedge or bush singing quick songs which have lots of repeated notes. It can also be seen perching on over-head wires singing.

The male Yellowhammer has a bright yellow head and breast and its back is a chestnut brown with lots of dark streaks. Its rump is a deep reddish brown colour and its long tail is black and yellow. The female is similar in appearance, but she has greenish brown feathers on her neck and breast and the yellow feathers are not as bright as the male’s. The female also has a deep reddish brown coloured rump and a black and yellow long tail.

Yellowhammers fly in a rather jerky manner because they seem to fly up and down in the air. These birds often hunt for food on the ground and sometimes they can be seen in groups foraging for food. They mainly eat grass, nettle, chickweed and dock seeds, but they also eat insects such as grasshoppers, beetles and caterpillars.