Will

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A bird of prey very similar to the much more common Buzzard, though only a small number spend winter in the UK. It has the habit of 'hanging' in the air while looking for prey, hovering much more often than Common Buzzards. Key features include the black-tipped white tail, paler appearance than most Common Buzzards, longer wings and paler head. Beware of pale Common Buzzards, they're a hugely variable species. A close view will reveal the heavily feathered legs that give this bird its name.

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The Roseate is a similar size to a Common Tern but very white-looking, with tail-streamers, a black cap and a black beak with a reddish base. In summer, adults have a pinkish tinge to their underparts which gives them their name. It's one of our rarest seabirds and its severe, long-lasting and well-documented decline make it a Red List species. It is also listed under Schedule 1 of The Wildlife and Countryside Act.

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The Rook's bare, greyish-white face, thinner beak and peaked head distinguish it from the Carrion Crow. Rooks are very sociable birds and you're not likely to see one on its own. They feed and roost in flocks in winter, often together with Jackdaws.

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The Rock Pipit is a large stocky pipit, bigger than a Meadow Pipit and smaller than a Starling. It's streaky olive-brown on top and dirty white underneath, with dark streaking. It breeds around the coast where there are rocky beaches. Most of the birds which breed in the UK are residents, with only the young birds dispersing once they become independent. Some birds arrive here from Norway to spend the winter.

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The Rock Dove is the wild ancestor of domestic Pigeons the world over, which were originally domesticated to provide food. Feral Pigeons come in all shades, some bluer, others blacker – some are pale grey with darker checked markings, others an unusual shade of dull brick-red or cinnamon-brown. Some can be more or less white while others look exactly like wild Rock Doves. They can be considered a nuisance in urban areas where numbers are allowed to increase.

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The UK's favourite bird. Thanks to its bright red breast, it's familiar throughout the year and especially at Christmas. Males and females look identical, young birds have no red breast and are spotted with golden brown. Robins sing nearly all year round and despite their cute appearance, they are aggressively territorial and are quick to drive away intruders. They will sing at night next to street lights.

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The Ringed Plover is a small, dumpy, short-legged wading bird. It's brownish grey above and whitish below. It has an orange bill, tipped with black, orange legs and a black-and-white pattern on its head and breast. In flight, it shows a broad, white wing-stripe. They mostly breed on beaches around the coast, but they have also now begun breeding inland in sand and gravel pits and former industrial sites. Many UK birds live here all year round, but birds from Europe winter in Britain, and birds from Greenland and Canada pass through on migration.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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