Will

@hashygeek

1464 Following

133 Followers

Will pfp

The UK's only naturalised parrot. It's medium-sized with a green body, long-tail, red beak and a pink and black ring around its face and neck. In flight, it has pointed wings and a long tail. It flies very steadily, directly and speedily. It's often found in flocks, which can reach hundreds at a roost site. Its loud call often gives it away.

0 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Will pfp

Ring Ouzels are slightly smaller and slimmer than a Blackbird. Males have distinctive black plumage with a pale wing panel and striking white breast band. The Ring Ouzel is mostly an upland bird, where it breeds in steep sided-valleys, crags and gullies, from near sea level in the far north of Scotland up to 1,200m in the Cairngorms. Breeding begins in mid-April and continues through to mid-July, with two broods common. Nests are located on or close to the ground in vegetation (typically in heather), in a crevice, or sometimes in a tree. The young are fed a diet of mainly earthworms and beetles.

0 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Will pfp

Reed Buntings are sparrow-sized but slim, with a deeply notched tail. The male has a black head, white collar and a drooping moustache. Females and winter males have a streaked head. In flight, the tail looks black with broad, white edges.

0 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Will pfp

The Redwing is usually a winter visitor and is the UK's smallest true thrush. Look for the creamy strip above its eye and the orange-red flank patches. They roam across the UK's countryside, feeding in fields and hedgerows, rarely visiting gardens, except in the coldest weather when snow covers the fields. Only a few pairs nest in the UK. It is listed as a Schedule 1 species of The Wildlife and Countryside Act.

0 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Will pfp

Redstarts are easily identified by their bright orange-red tails which they often quiver. Breeding males look smart, with slate grey upper parts, black faces and wings and an orange rump and chest. Females and young are browner with some chestnut tail feathers and pale bellies. Redstarts 'bob' in a very Robin-like manner, but spend little time at ground level. It's included on the Amber List of species with unfavourable conservation status in Europe where it is declining.

0 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Will pfp

As its name suggests, Redshanks' most distinctive features are their bright orange-red legs. They have a medium-length bill and an orange base to match. Their back and wings are brown and speckled, while their belly is paler in colour.

0 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Will pfp

The smallest of the UK's divers, look for its grey-brown plumage and up-tilted bill to distinguish it from the other species. In summer, it has a distinctive red throat. They usually jump up to dive and can stay underwater for a minute and a half. They are very ungainly on land, only coming ashore to breed. They are listed as a Schedule 1 species under The Wildlife and Countryside Act.

0 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Will pfp

These small, delicate waders are adapted well to spending a lot of time on water. Unlike other waders, Phalaropes have lobed toes which enable them to swim strongly when on pools or out at sea. They spend most of their time in the water but can also run about on land. The duller coloured male looks after the eggs and young after laying. As a rare UK breeding species, it's a Red List bird. They're listed under Schedule 1 of The Wildlife and Countryside Act.

0 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Will pfp

Like all grebes, this is an expert swimmer and diver. Its winter plumage is similar to a Great Crested Grebe but has a thicker neck and a stout dark bill with a yellow base. It has a brown body, a black crown with whitish cheeks and, in summer, a red neck and breast. It's suspected to breed in the UK but the potential sites are kept secret and birds are given special protection. Less than 20 individuals spend the summer in the UK each year, with numbers increasing slightly in the winter when birds move here from colder Europe.

0 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Will pfp

Larger than the Grey Partridge, it has a large white chin and throat patch, bordered with black. It has a greyish body with bold black stripes on its lower sides and a chestnut-sided tail. It's an introduced species, brought to the UK from continental Europe, where it's largely found in France and Spain.

0 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Will pfp

Larger than a Pochard, the male has an orange-brown head with a red beak and pale flanks (lower sides). Females are brown with pale cheeks. In flight, they show whitish underwings. They dive, dabble and up-end for their food. There is a large population in Spain but smaller numbers in France, Netherlands and Germany. Occasional wild birds may come to the UK from the Continent. The UK breeding birds almost certainly all come from escaped birds.

0 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Will pfp

These handsome diving ducks belong to the sawbill family, named for their serrated bills, used for catching fish. Their diet of fish like Salmon and Trout has brought them into conflict with game fishermen. At home on both fresh and saltwater, Red-breasted Mergansers are most commonly seen around the UK's coastline in winter. They are very sociable, forming flocks of several hundreds in the autumn.

0 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Will pfp

Red-backed Shrikes are slightly larger, but slimmer, than House Sparrows. The male is unmistakable with a bluish-grey head, black mask, bright chestnut back and thick black bill. Shrikes like to perch on the tops of bushes, fence posts and telephone wires, where they have a good view of potential prey. Their catches are taken to their 'larder' where they are impaled on a thorn or wedged into branches for later. Dramatic declines have seen the Red-backed Shrike become almost extinct as a UK breeding species, and they are now a Red List bird. It's also listed as a Schedule 1 species under The Wildlife and Countryside Act.

0 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Will pfp

This magnificently graceful bird of prey is unmistakable with its reddish-brown body, angled wings and deeply forked tail. It was saved from national extinction by one of the world's longest-running protection programmes. It has now been successfully re-introduced to England and Scotland. Red Kites are listed under Schedule 1 of The Wildlife and Countryside Act.

0 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Will pfp

The Red Grouse is a medium-sized game bird. It has a short tail and a lightly hook-tipped bill. It's reddish-brown, with legs and feet that are covered in pale feathers. Birds breed in the UK in the uplands of the north and west and are resident all year round, travelling very little in their lives. The population is declining, perhaps due to diseases and the loss of heather moorland.

0 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Will pfp

The Razorbill is a medium-sized seabird. It's black on top and white below, with a thick black beak that's deep and blunt, unlike the thinner bill of the similar Guillemot. It breeds around the coast of the UK, with the largest groups in northern Scotland. There are no breeding birds between the Humber and the Isle of Wight. Birds only come to shore to breed and winter in the northern Atlantic. The future of this species depends on the health of our oceans. Fishing nets, pollution and falling fish numbers all threaten the Razorbill.

0 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Will pfp

The common Raven is a large all-black bird, a member of the crow family. It is massive – the biggest member of the crow family. Look for its large bill and long wings. In flight, it shows a diamond-shaped tail. Ravens breed mainly in the west and north although they are currently expanding their range eastwards. Most birds are residents, though some birds – especially non-breeders and young birds – wander from their breeding areas but don't travel far.

0 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Will pfp

The combination of their stocky bodies and pointed wings makes Quails stand out. Their upperparts are brown, streaked and striped with beige, while their underparts are a warm browny orange. Quails are more likely to be heard than seen. Listen out for their distinctive “pick-per-wick” call. Their breeding range reaches as far north as the UK, where they are the only migrant species of the Phasianidae family, which includes heavy ground-living birds such as the Pheasant. Due to their historical decline, Quails are on the Amber List but are now in partial recovery. They are also listed on Schedule 1 of The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

0 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Will pfp

The Purple Sandpiper is a medium-sized wading bird that is larger, stockier and darker than a Dunlin. It is mainly dark grey above and whitish below. It has a downcurved beak and bright orange legs. In flight, it shows a white wing-stripe. A couple of pairs nest in Scotland, but this species is mainly a winter visitor to almost any rocky coast in the UK. Most are found in Orkney, Shetland and along the east coast of Scotland and northern England – it is rare south of Yorkshire, except in Devon and Cornwall. The breeding areas in Scotland are kept secret to protect the birds from egg thieves and disturbance. It is listed on Schedule 1 of The Wildlife and Countryside Act.

0 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Will pfp

Puffins are unmistakable birds with their black back and white underparts, distinctive black head with large pale cheeks and their tall, flattened, brightly-coloured bill. Its comical appearance is heightened by its red and black eye-markings and bright orange legs. Used as a symbol for books and other items, this clown among seabirds is one of the world's favourite birds. With half of the UK population at only a few sites, it's a Red List species.

0 reply

0 recast

0 reaction