X is for Xmas bird

ROBIN (ERITHACUS RUBECULA)

There is no British bird beginning with ‘X’ and I dislike the abbreviation of Christmas, but the show must go on. The timing is impeccable for a Christmas special.

No other British bird is such a yuletide symbol as the robin Erithacus rubecula. As I type, I’m surrounded by 10 manifestations of this little thrush (5 ornaments and 5 cards). Yet the robin is resident here all year.  Why aren’t our houses adorned with winter migrants like the gorgeous waxwing  Bombycilla garrulus, the redwing Turdus iliacus or appropriately arctic snow bunting Plectrophenax nivalis?

The reason robin’s stole the Christmas spotlight is twofold.  Firstly, they are one of few birds that sing this time of year*, adding winter cheer to an otherwise frosty atmosphere. Both sexes sing year-round, a complex tune of cheerful notes which reminds me of a blackbird Turdus merula on helium. Perhaps their splash of colour also brightened up the dreary winter woods.

The second reason is from the tradition of mailing Christmas cards.  At the time cards went commercial in the 1840’s , postmen wore red jackets, so were nicknamed ‘Robins’ for the similarity of their dress. The robin’s associations with postmen and winter time melded to inspire picture cards with caricatures of robins carrying letters through the snow and has made them the traditional Christmas favourite.

Our fondness for the robin in Britain extends beyond the Christmas season. They have been our unofficial national bird since the 1960’s¹, and they are seen as a friend above all else. British tradition dictates that it is taboo to capture or harm a robin^1,2. To kill one is a scandal, causing a lifetime of bad luck ^1,2 and egg-collecting children of past times left robin eggs be for fear of their fingers turning crooked if they stole one². The famous excerpt from William Blake “A robin redbreast in a cage puts all heaven in a rage” illustrates that though robins were sometimes caged as songbirds, it was generally frowned upon. Christians also adopted the reverence of robins, claiming the bird’s breast was coloured when it plucked the thorns from Jesus’crown  and bloodied itself¹.

The robin did not enjoy the same respect in mainland Europe, where it was more regularly trapped for food and cagebirds. Perhaps because of these different histories, the British robin is much tamer than its mainland relatives^1,2,3. We have our very own race of robin, E. rubicella melophilus (melophilus meaning lover’s song)^2,4. Gardeners and growers enjoy a  cupboard love with the bird, keen to exploit the insects and worms exposed by turned soil and confiding to the point of taking food from the hand (Something I’ve had the privilege of experiencing thanks to a friend).  A robin sat on the handle of a fork or a spade is another iconic image of this bird. Though this isn’t a special relationship since robins will follow other earth movers from moles to wild boar.

We often characterise the robin as red breasted, known as the ‘redbreast’ in England until recently, the Broindergh or ‘red belly’ in Gaelic and Yr hobel goc or the ‘red bird’ in Welsh ¹ and we often illustrate it in scarlet or crimson dress. However, look at any real robin and you’ll see it’s breast is not in fact red, but a rusty orange. The alternative name “Ruddock” referring to a warm, ‘ruddy’ tone is more descriptive. ‘Robin’ itself is short for ‘Robert’, following the practice for giving characterful birds affectionate human names.

The robin uses its colourful breast in display. Whilst humans see the robin as friendly, they view each other as anything but. Robin’s are fiercely territorial. Even the different sexes will clash in winter. Research into the true nature of robins by the devoted expert David Lack revealed that male robins respond to red feathers like a bull to a flag, even if it’s just a ball of fluff. After posturing, calling and chasing they may battle ferociously, sometimes to the death.

Within their territory, robins build a nest of leaves and moss in a nook or cranny. Aswell as bushes and tree holes, they are famous for using human objects including plantpots and other garden items and even furniture inside houses! When the young fledge, they are speckled brown and tan, often being mistaken for a different species.

So to all readers of EcoGeek, I hope you’ve enjoyed this celebration of this festive bird and enjoy your own festive celebrations if you haven’t done so already. And if Christmas dinner gets too much, to paraphrase one of my classmates, feed the birds, let them know it’s Christmas time!
Thank you and a Merry Christmas from Ecogeek!

*Apart from the wren Troglodytes troglodytes, lending it the common name ‘winter wren’.

References

1- Mark Cocker and Richard Mabey. (2005) Birds Britannica. London, Chatto and Windus.

2- Fransesca Greenoak. (1979) All the Birds of the Air. A. Brown and Sons.

3- Peter Holden and Tim Cleeves. (2010) RSPB Handbook of British Birds (Third Edition). London, A&C Black.

4- R.A. Robinson. (2005) BTO BirdFacts: profiles of birds occurring in Britain & Ireland: Robin Erithacus europaea   [Linnaeus, 1758]. (BTO Research Report 407). BTO, Thetford. Available from: http://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob10990.htm

W is for Woodpigeon

WOODPIGEON (COLUMBA PALUMBUS)

There is no such thing as ‘just a pigeon’. It amazes me that people don’t realise the difference between the feral, city pigeon (domesticated descendants of rock doves* Columba livia originally kept for food), and the fully wild wood pigeon Columba palumbus.  ‘Woodies’ can be discerned by their salmon-pink breast  and white neck clasp, and wing patches. Like feral pigeons, they have an iridescent flash on their their neck, glinting metallic green and purple. The rest of their body is a pastel blue- grey.

Woodpigeons are also larger than feral pigeons (around 50% heavier¹), one of our biggest garden birds. They’re often thought of as fat and can look quite comical strutting with their tiny legs. One of my friends likens them to the portly figure of Winston Churchill. In truth though, their breast is mainly powerful flight muscle, not flab. 

But they are certainly big eaters. Wood pigeons are mainly herbivorous, grazing on plants and shoots and gulping down seeds, berries, buds and leaves along with the occasional insect, worm or snail^2,3.  A wide gape allows them to swallow acorns whole and despite their size, they are capable of quite acrobatic feats to feed on fruiting branches.
Plant foods are difficult to digest, so they eat a lot. This makes them a serious pest as winter flocks descend in their hundreds on fields of cereals and vegetables, and are understandably shot to control their numbers. One woodpigeon was found with its crop and stomach full of 1020 grains of corn, whilst another had swallowed 198 beans⁴.  They’re also begrudged in gardens for `taking food meant for smaller birds. This can be averted by caging the feed or using smaller seed mixes⁵. I personally welcome woodies in the garden over the more piggish feral pigeons.

The woodpigeon was proclaimed Britain’s commonest garden bird in 2005⁶. Once limited to rural woods and fields, their numbers have soared due to changing practices on the farms they pilfer. Switching from spring to autumn sowing of cereals and increased growing of oilseed rape provide extensive winter food sources which help the pigeons survive the leaner times. It is from these farms that many have spilled into suburban and urban areas⁵. They even outnumber their feral cousins in London gardens⁷.

But winter survival is only half the story. Woodpigeons can also breed all year round provided there is enough food available, thanks to a trick up their sleeve, or rather down their throat.

Most birds feed their young on insects to provide the protein they need to grow, restricting their breeding season to the warmer spring and summer months. Pigeons have curbed this by producing a protein-rich milk. Yes, milk!  Of course this ‘pigeon milk’ does not come from teats but from a cell lining of the crop. More winter food means woodpigeons can raise more broods later.

Woodpigeons mate for life, and courting males go to great effort to earn their mates. Their haughty cooing has a drowsy quality that accentuates the humid late summer. They also perform display flights, flapping vertically into the air before gliding down in a wide arc. Any interested female is greeted with a display of tilting,tail-fanning and cooing . Though she will often spurn his advances, he follows her persistently. If they suit, they become hopeless romantics, cuddling up together, preening and even ‘kissing’ by locking beaks and exchanging food. 

Woodpigeon courting (Video by vriesap) and song (Recording by Ashley Fisher). 

The couple builds a messy platform of sticks in the branches of a tree. Their plain white eggs can sometimes be seen from below. The young pigeons, called squabs have faces only a mother could love with bulging eyes, a roman nose and straggly down, growing into juveniles which lack the white markings of the adults.

Male woodpigeons are defensive of their breeding territories and mates, getting into fights by smacking each other with their wings. These tussles look silly, but the blows are powerful. Woodpigeons also clap their wings together over their backs when fleeing a predator, sounding a clattering alarm signal. Buzzards Buteo buteo, female sparrowhawks  Accipiter nisus, foxes Vulpes vulpes and humans all enjoy a meaty woodpigeon.

All too often we hear of species declining due to human land use. The woodpigeon provides a brilliant example of the opposite, even if it is at our expense. Whether viewed as a pest or handsome garden visitor, even the humble woodpigeon has a remarkable life. It is far from “just a pigeon”.

* There's no real difference between 'pigeons' and 'doves'. The sacred white dove symbol of christianity is simply a colour form of domestic pigeon. 

References

1- R.A. Robinson. (2005) BTO BirdFacts: profiles of birds occurring in Britain & Ireland: Woodpigeon Columba palumbus   [Linnaeus, 1758]. (BTO Research Report 407). BTO, Thetford. Available from:  http://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob6700.htm

2- Peter Holden and Tim Cleeves. (2010) RSPB Handbook of British Birds (Third Edition). London, A&C Black.

3- Peter Holden and J.T.R. Sharrock. (1988) The RSPB Book of British Birds. London, Papermac.

4- Mark Cocker and Richard Mabey. (2005) Birds Britannica. London, Chatto and Windus.

5- BTO (No date) A BTO Garden BirdWatch factsheet: Woodpigeon. Available from: http://www.bto.org/sites/default/files/u23/downloads/pdfs/factsheet_woodp.pdf

6- BBC News. (2004) Wood pigeon 'most common UK bird'. Available from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4646685.stm

7- BBC News. (2008) Wood pigeons 'flocking to towns'. Available from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7166536.stm

V is for Vanellus

LAPWING (VANELLUS VANELLUS)

Lapwings Vanellus vanellus  are beautiful birds, with a stately figure and sweet rounded face topped off with a whisp of a headcrest. They appear pied, but to call them black and white would be an understatement, since their wings iridesce with green, purple and bronze. A flock of lapwings flashing dark and light as they twist and turn is a sight to behold, and one of my favourite childhood memories was watching these flocks descend on fields in my hometown.

The lapwing’s flight, with sweeping strokes of its distinctive broad wings earned it both its scientific name, meaning a ‘a waving fan’¹ and the common name, from the Old English ‘Hleapewince’ to leap with a waver². Their aerial prowess peaks in spring when males show off in tumbling display flights whilst giving their unusual  call, giving it it’s other common name the ‘Peewit’ (Though I’d personally translate it as ‘peao-wee’).

Lapwings are a familiar site in the British countryside, commonly encountered in open areas from moors and marshes to sheep pasture and ploughed fields.  Here they indulge their habit of plucking invertebrates off the ground, feeding in a teetering motion.

 It seems that lapwings are faring well in Britain, but unfortunately this is not the case. The numbers of adult birds, which live for over ten years, are masking a poor breeding success.

Breeding lapwings need open areas with short vegetation where they can dig a nest scrape and look out for predators, alongside insect-rich areas nearby for the chicks to feed. Naturally, lapwings nest in marshy habitats, but with the take-over of agriculture spring-sown cereal fields became choice habitat, especially in mixed farms with food-rich pastureland nearby. 

In the past, the lapwing had made a success in Britain’s agricultural landscape, but as goes the story for many farmland birds, increased agricultural efficiency and changes in land use have not been in their favour. From around the 1960’s, drainage of wet fields, decreases in mixed farming, ‘improvements’ of pastureland reducing their insect life, and switching from spring to autumn sowing have contributed to a shocking 50% decline in breeding lapwings since 1985³. It is now an RSPB red status species.

Lapwing conservation presents special problems since they don’t always benefit from measures for other farmland birds. For example, hedgerows which provide food and shelter for songbirds also act as highways for lapwing nest predators such as foxes and stoats.  Special ‘lapwing plots’ in cropped fields also benefit  smaller birds⁴.

Lapwings begin breeding in March. The male makes several scrapes lined with grass or leaves and the female chooses where to lay her eggs.  The eggs are a mottled brown, concealing them against the ground and the downy, bobble-headed chicks are equally well camouflaged. Both parents care for the eggs and chicks and are very defensive of the nest. They will give aerial chase to any corvid or raptor that gets too close, and will distract ground predators by loudly calling, fluttering and even feigning injury away from the nest. This has earned the lapwing a deceitful reputation, famously observed by Chaucer who refers to the “false lapwynge, ful of treacherye” in his poem ‘The Assembly of Fowls’, and is established in their collective noun, a deceit of lapwing.

Whilst the adults go on the defensive, the chicks respond to threat by lying low and making like a pebble. If they are discovered, they can run away just minutes after hatching, with the charming side effect of scampering off still stuck with eggshell ². Shakespeare draws on this behaviour in Hamlet, when Horatio refers to young Osric getting ideas above his station “The lapwing runs with shell on his head”. These curiously astute observations of rare behaviour stem from the past practice of harvesting lapwing eggs².

After breeding, lapwings may move about depending on the weather. Small flocks arrive from Northern Europe in June swelling numbers through to winter, whilst British breeders may fly as far south as Spain in harsh winters ^3,5.

History has shown that the fate of the lapwing is interlinked with that of the British countryside. It would be a great shame to lose this culturally and visually enigmatic bird from our landscape. Hopes lie with our farmers and agrienvironmentalists to keep the peewits calling evermore.

References

1- R.A. Robinson. (2005) BTO BirdFacts: profiles of birds occurring in Britain & Ireland: Lapwing Vanellus vanellus   [Linnaeus, 1758]. (BTO Research Report 407). BTO, Thetford. Available from: http://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob4930.htm

2- Fransesca Greenoak. (1979) All the Birds of the Air. A. Brown and Sons.

3- Peter Holden and Tim Cleeves. (2010) RSPB Handbook of British Birds (Third Edition). London, A&C Black.

4- D. Chamberlain, S. Gough, G. Anderson, M. Macdonald, P. Grice and J.Vickery.(2009)Bird use of cultivated fallow 'Lapwing plots' within English agrienvironment schemes. Bird Study 56, 289-297.Summary available from: http://www.bto.org/sites/default/files/u31/downloads/details/lapwingsinplots.pdf

5- Peter Holden and J.T.R. Sharrock. (1988) The RSPB Book of British Birds. London, Papermac. 

U is for Upupa

HOOPOE (UPUPA EPOPS)

From the moment anyone sets their eyes on a hoopoe* Upupa epops  in the UK, they know, they are  looking at something exotic. With their peachy body, zebra stripe wings, long down-curved beak  and huge headcrest, the hoopoe is unlike any other British bird.

Hoopoes are indeed from sunnier climes. Their usual range is the Meditteranean, Africa and the Middle East. Yet every year, around 100 hoopoes visit Britain. Unlike the swallow or the cuckoo they do not stay and revel in the delights of the British summer. So what are they doing here?

In spring, some hoopoes from Sub-Saharan Africa migrate to the northern Mediterranean.  Those which end up in Britain have overshot across the channel. Of course, most make land in southern England, but hoopoes have been found as far north as the Scottish Highlands and Orkney¹.  The first recorded hoopoe in the UK was in Greater London in 1666² (When the city was a lot greener). They are surprisingly hardy, with one recorded overwintering in Britain, feeding in leaf litter³. Hoopoes are known for enduring the cold, since they migrate across the Alps and even the Himalayas³.

Whilst most hoopoes arriving in Britain realise their mistake and return south, some do stay around for a while. There are around 30 records of attempted breeding in the past two centuries, though unfortunately none have been successful. Though some nests have fledged, the fledglings have been easy targets for predators³.

The hoopoe feeds mainly by probing the soil with its long beak searching for insect larvae. They prefer to settle in areas with plenty of bare ground or short turf where it is easier to feed. For this reason, they often stop off on manicured lawns such as golf courses, bowling greens and gardens. They particularly favour grazed areas, where there are also abundant beetle grubs and fly larvae associated with animal dung⁴.
They also snatch small animals from the surface, mainly grasshoppers and crickets as well as beetles, spiders, centipedes and occasionally small lizards and rodents. Hoopoes are one of few birds unphased by millipede toxins.

In flight, the hoopoes boldy- patterned, broad wings and unique fluttering technique have earned it the nickname ‘butterfly bird’.  This may give the impression that their flight is weak and haphazard but along with their migratory feats, hoopoes are highly agile in the air and excellent at evading avian predators such as falcons³.

But perhaps the hoopoes most distinctive feature is it’s crest. The long feathers are raised when excited or alert, spreading into a black-edged fan. Most of the time it is sheathed away as a spike jutting out of the back of its head, giving the bird a passing resemblance to the pterosaur pteranodon.

Given the hoopoes’ unique appearance, it seems odd that both its common and scientific names are onomatopoeic, referring to its call. The soft, but resonant “oop oop oop” is made by the hoopoe lowering its head and inflating its throat whilst calling, often from a perch.

Hoopoe calling from a perch. Video by Sanal Kumar

The hoopoe’s uniqueness is recognised in its taxonomy (Its relationship to other birds). It is the only species in the ‘Upupidae’ (though the Madagascan subspecies  U. epops marginata may be a separate species). Traditionally they are included in the Coraciiformes along with kingfishers, bee-eaters and hornbills, though some have argued for a separate order, the ‘Upupiformes’ which seperates the hoopoe along with wood-hoopoes and scimitar bills⁶.

Like other Coraciiformes, hoopoes are hole nesters, using trees, banks or buildings⁴. They cannot hammer their own hole, but the parents dig out loose matter and enlarge the cavity, as well as lining it with soft materials⁴. The single brood of around 7 young start off ugly and partly bald before fledging into grey, comically scruffy versions of the adults, with yellow lips or ‘gapes’  to direct their parents to their mouths.

With the warmer summers brought about by  future climate change, it is likely that Mediterranean birds, including the hoopoe will increasingly visit and breed in Britain⁷. Though changing weather patterns may cause problems for several species, I’m sure some birdwatchers will see the charismatic hoopoe as a little silver lining.

Finally, if you have seen a hoopoe, please report it to @Hoopoesuk on twitter https://twitter.com/Hoopoesuk.

*(Pronounced ‘hoo-poo’ or ‘ ho-po’)

References

1- R.A. Robinson and J.A.Clark. (2013) Summary of all Ringing Recoveries for Hoopoe (Upupa epops). Available from: http://blx1.bto.org/ring/countyrec/resultsall/rec8460all.htm

2- R.A. Robinson. (2005) BTO BirdFacts: profiles of birds occurring in Britain & Ireland: Hoopoe Upupa epops   [Linnaeus, 1758]. (BTO Research Report 407). BTO, Thetford. Available from: http://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob8460.htm

3- Michael.J.Seago. (no date) Birds of Britain: Hoopoe. Available from: http://www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/bird-guide/hoopoe.asp

4- GRRLSCIENTIST. (2011) Mystery bird: Eurasian hoopoe, Upupa epops. Available from: http://www.theguardian.com/science/punctuated-equilibrium/2011/sep/27/2

5- RSPB and Birdlife International. (2007) Birds on the Move: Introducing A Climatic Atlas of European Breeding Birds.  Available from: http://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/birdsonthemove_tcm9-180310.pdf

T is for Tadorna

SHELDUCK (TADORNA TADORNA)

One of our largest of ducks ~, the shelduck Tadorna tadorna casts a handsome and commanding  figure with its pure white body, chestnut chest band, black wingbar,  bottle green head and a bright vermillion beak.  The shelduck is named after it’s parti-coloured, or “Sheld” plumage (black and white with some colour)¹. Males have a knob atop their beak, whilst females have a smudge of white feathers at the base. They also sound different. Males have a soft whistle, whilst the female has a deeper honk (Both can be heard below).

 Somewhere between a duck and a goose in appearance, the shelduck is our only native member of a waterfowl group known as tadornids *. Some of its relatives have become established in the UK from captive birds, including the ruddy shelduck Tadorna ferruginea and Egyptian goose Alopochen aegyptiacus.

Shelducks are easily spotted on sandy or muddy coasts, estuaries and marshes.  Unlike most ducks, they are more of a wader than a swimmer, foraging  in a characteristic bill-sweeping manner in shallow water or wet silt. The shelduck uses tooth-like lamellae on the side of its bill to filter out its food.  Their diet is mainly tiny Hydrobius water snails along with other aquatic invertebrates, fish fry and some plant matter².  In deeper water shelduck will upend to reach the bottom, with just their chestnut rump above the water.  In flight, the shelduck casts a particularly large and impressive figure.

The shelduck’s characteristic feeding behaviour. Video by J R Martinez.

The shelduck’s breeding behaviour is also unusual.  A clue is in one of their old names, “burrow duck”¹. They like to nest in a hole, often an abandoned rabbit burrow but also in buildings, under dense scrub cover, haystacks, spaces between straw bales, tree holes or any other secluded hollow^2,3. This habit caused their persecution in the middle ages, when privately-owned rabbit warrens were a valuable asset on sand dunes and shelducks were killed for apparently competing with the residents⁴.

Males are fiercely territorial during the breeding season. Disputes involve a lot of posturing, such as neck stretching, head-bobbing and flapping whilst uttering a deep chuckling warning call. In an attack, the male viciously bites his opponent and deals blows with his powerful wings.  Their heightened aggression even extends to other ducks, gulls and waders ⁵.

 
Chaotic aggression between shelduck pairs during the breeding season. Video by Frank Vlamings.

Females deal with limited nest holes by laying eggs in another’s nest if they cannot get their own¹. The foster parent’s brood may increase by ten or more, but surprisingly she will still hatch them all successfully¹. This probably has little effect on the foster parent in practice since shelducks show minimal parental care.

Almost as soon as they hatch, the black and white, marbled ducklings are lead out of the hole in a procession to their watery nursery.  Sometimes the parents may nest miles inland, so the family faces quite a trek to their new home1. Although the parents will defend their brood fiercely along the way, once at the water they usually abandon their ducklings^1,2,3,6. 

However, the babies are not totally helpless. They gather into crèches numbering from around twenty to over one hundred ducklings, which will be guarded by a few unrelated, non-breeding ‘aunties’^1,2,6. Like other ducklings, baby shelducks are quite independent and can run and dive well to avoid predators ^1,6. The juveniles  remain black and white until they reach adulthood at 2 years old⁴.

For the adults, leaving their offspring isn’t simply shirking their duties, it is a matter of urgency. Once breeding season is over they must migrate to their moulting areas before they are unable to fly^2,6. Like most waterbirds they are grounded during their four week moult, when they renew their wing feathers, so they must stay in an area with a rich food supply to last them out. One such place is Bridgewater Bay off Somerset, where around 4000 shelduck gather⁶. Their aggression is lost and they gather in flocks⁶.

Come October, shelducks migrate again for the winter⁶. British shelduck return to their resident breeding grounds, but our populations swell with flocks of migrants from mainland Europe². Britain is a very important place for shelducks, since it is home to over half the wintering population of Western Europe³.

Shelducks are increasing in Britain, driving their expansion to inland waters². However, they face several recent threats, including loss of feeding and nesting habitat to coastal development and tidal barrages². Commercial cockle dredging decreases the shelduck’s invertebrate prey⁷, whilst invasive American mink (Neovison vison) are significant nest predators⁸.

The shelduck is a handsome oddball among our waterfowl with a strange life history. I for one will have a new appreciation of this Common duck the next time I go birdwatching on an estuary.

~Our heaviest duck is the eider Somateria mollissima, beating the shelduck by a whole kilo, but the shelduck has a slightly greater body length and larger wingspan.

*Note that while all ducks are anatids (in the same family as geese and swans) ‘ducks’ do not belong to a single related subfamily within it, they are simply named by appearance.

References

1- Fransesca Greenoak. (1979) All the Birds of the Air. A. Brown and Sons.

2- Peter Holden and Tim Cleeves. (2010) RSPB Handbook of British Birds (Third Edition). London, A&C Black.

3-Peter Holden and J.T.R. Sharrock. (1988) The RSPB Book of British Birds. London, Papermac.

4- R.A. Robinson. (2005) BTO BirdFacts: profiles of birds occurring in Britain & Ireland: Shelduck Tadorna tadorna   [Linnaeus, 1758]. (BTO Research Report 407). BTO, Thetford. Available from: http://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob1730.htm

5- M. Makepeace and I. J. Patterson. (1980) Duckling mortality in the Shelduck, in relation to density, aggressive interaction and weather. Wildfowl, 31, 57-72. Available from: wildfowl.wwt.org.uk/index.php/wildfowl/article/download/609/609

6- Michael.J.Seago. (no date) Birds of Britain: Shelduck Tadorna tadorna. Available from: http://www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/bird-guide/shelduck.asp

7-BirdLife International (2010) Commercial shellfisheries can negatively impact migratory waterbirds. State of the world's birds. Available from: http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sowb/casestudy/23.

8- M. Nordström, J. Högmander, J.Nummelin, J.Laine, N.Laanetu and E. Korpimäki.(2002) Variable responses of waterfowl breeding populations to long-term removal of introduced American mink. Ecography , 25, 385-394. Available from: http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/3683549?uid=3738032&uid=2&uid=4&sid=21103095401163 

S is for Sparrowhawk

SPARROWHAWK (ACCIPITER NISUS)

To some, a swift demon snatching defenceless birds from their garden feeders.  To others, an exciting reminder of the wild on their doorstep. The sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus embodies the attitude of nature red in (beak) and claw.

Sparrowhawks usually make a surprise appearance, often a fleeting glimpse as one shoots by. In flight, the sparrowhawk has a distinctive outline with short, broad wings and a long oblong tail. When resting, their glaring yellow eyes are another striking feature. Sparrowhawks are usually silent, but are often heralded by the alarm calls of other birds.

Female sparrowhawks are 25% bigger than males, a record breaker amongst birds¹. This helps avoid competition for prey. Males hunt small birds like tits, finches and sparrows whilst the females take thrushes, corvids and pigeons.
Their colouring is also different. The male casts a handsome figure with a slatey blue back and fine orange bands across his chest whilst the female has a browner back and chest bands.

Sparrowhawks are woodland birds by nature, but the planted trees and bird communities of gardens are a good substitute. Over 90% of their prey is live birds, with small mammals (including bats), carrion and insect snacks occasionally on the menu². In general, sparrowhawks aren't fussy, taking whichever bird is readily available. In his 30 year observations, J.H.Owen noted 57 prey species².

 The sparrowhawks’ hunting strategy is to coast around behind cover³ (Trees, hedgerows, fences and even people on the streets*) before bursting into a surprised group of birds and snatching its prey with long, lobed talons perfect for gripping a moving target. If given the slip, the sparrowhawk’s specialised wings and tail come into action steering over, under and between branches at speeds of up to 50kph⁴. The hawk despatches its prey with talon squeezes or eats it alive depending on which is easier. Sparrowhawks are even known to drown prey^ᵻ. The forensic signs of a sparrowhawk kill are scattered, plucked feathers and missing head and/or breast meat, the raptor’s choice delicacies.  

Watch how the sparrowhawk manouvres between branches in this clip from the legendary David Attenborough's 'Life of Birds' series.


The sparrowhawks hunting skill has shaped its scientific name (Accipiter from accipere, to grasp¹) and has been honoured in human weaponry. The musket (an early hand gun) was named after the falconer’s term for the male sparrowhawk- both being small, fast and deadly⁵.

Sparrowhawks are such infamous predators of other birds that they have been scapegoated for causing songbird declines. The sparrowhawk’s recovery from persecution by gamekeepers and poisoning by DDT (a pesticide that builds up through the food chain) since the 1960’s coincided with the decline in small woodland and farmland birds⁶. It is easy to put two and two together and some organisations such as the “Songbird Survival” did (and partly still do) just that⁷.

But the evidence does not support this. Studies show that songbirds are thriving where sparrowhawk populations are highest⁸, and sparrowhawks act as ‘compensatory predators’⁹, meaning they only kill prey in numbers which would have died from natural causes anyway, such as harsh winters. This makes obvious sense since the predator relies on good prey populations, and depleting their food source would doom the sparrowhawks in the long run. In other words, most small birds survive to breed in the same numbers whether or not sparrowhawks are around, and human-caused habitat loss and land management changes are far greater causes of songbird decline^7,9.  Even around garden feeders which often become sparrowhawk magnets, birds adjust their behaviour to cope- feeding little and often to avoid becoming full and sluggish targets⁹.

Sparrowhawks themselves are not invincible. They must watch their own backs for larger peregrines Falco peregrinus and goshawks Accipiter gentilis and harsh winters that kill off small birds lead sparrowhawks to starve in turn¹⁰. Sparrowhawks are short lived for a raptor, and less than half their breeding attempts produce fledglings¹⁰. Like most predators, they simply cannot reach damaging numbers.

It is time we stopped viewing sparrowhawks as detached murderers of our garden treasures and recognise them as yet another beautifully adapted predator inextricably linked with the fate of our smaller birds. It is a testament to changing times that the sparrowhawk has managed to become so common around our homes.

*One of my most memorable encounters with a sparrowhawk was when one flew past chasing a sparrow just inches from my face as a child!

^ᵻThis may seem barbaric and upsetting to our eyes, but as with all predators, the sparrowhawk acts on efficiency, not moral code. Is a song thrush bashing a live snail on a rock any less ‘barbaric’?

  References

1- R.A. Robinson. (2005) BTO BirdFacts: profiles of birds occurring in Britain & Ireland:Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus. Available from: http://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob2690.htm

2-J.H. Owen. (1932) The Food of the Sparrow-Hawk. British Birds,26, 34 – 40. Available from: http://www.britishbirds.co.uk/search?model=pdf&id=1444

3- Dominic Couzens. (2012) Garden Birds Confidential. Bounty Books.

4- RSPB. (2013) Birds by name: Sparrowhawk: Hunting. Available from:  http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/s/sparrowhawk/hunting.aspx

5- Fransesca Greenoak. (1979) All the Birds of the Air. A. Brown and Sons.

6- BTO. (2013) Bird of the Month: Sparrowhawk. Available from: http://www.bto.org/about-birds/bird-of-month/sparrowhawk

7- Songbird Survival. (2013) Save our Songbirds. Available from: http://www.songbird-survival.org.uk/save_our_songbirds.html

8- RSPB. (2013) Birds by name: Sparrowhawk: A top predator. Available from:  http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/s/sparrowhawk/toppredator.aspx

9- Mike Toms. (2008) Return of the Native. Birdtable, 56,7-11. BTO. Available from: http://www.bto.org/sites/default/files/shared_documents/gbw/associated_files/bird-table-56-2008-sparrowhawk-article.pdf

10-RSPB. (2013) Birds by name: Sparrowhawk: Mortality. Available from:  http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/s/sparrowhawk/mortality.aspx

R is for Redwing

REDWING (TURDUS ILIACUS) 

From a summer migrant (Q is for Quail) we move to a more topical winter migrant, the Redwing Turdus iliacus. The smallest of our ‘true thrushes’ (from the genus Turdus), the redwing arrives to Britain in droves from the forests of Northern Europe, seeking out our richer winter larder.

Walking home on a crisp autumn night, you may be surprised to hear a soft “tseep” from the skies above. This is the sound of redwing migrating under cover of darkness. During the day it is easy to identify flocks of redwing by their size (A little larger than a robin) and their plumage patterns. They are darker than a song thrush Turdus philomelos , with a mahogany upperside, pale eyebrows, white, speckled chest and of course red underwings and flanks. Another flocking winter migrant thrush is the Fieldfare Turdus pilaris which is much larger with different plumage (The difference is explained in this video by the BTO).

Redwings are renowned berry-guzzlers. Scattered along a hedgerow or fruiting tree, they gulp down berries of hawthorn, rowan, and holly, sometimes creating quite a festive scene amongst the frosted, berry-laden branches. The arrival of redwings is much to the chagrin of Mistle Thrushes Turdus viscivorous, which stake out their own berried bush for the winter and fruitlessly attempt to guard it against the onslaught of their smaller cousins.  Redwings sometimes visit gardens in harsher weather where there are pickings of ornamental berry bushes such as cotoneaster and pyracanthus or handouts of fruit like apples. The orchards of the West Midlands are an important feeding area for redwings to stock up on windfall apples¹.

But redwings won’t pass up the opportunity for something meatier and can often be seen hopping across playing fields and farmland in search of worms. They will also split up and rummage through woodland leaf-litter for insects, especially when it is too cold and windy to be out in the open². Redwings are well camouflaged against the woodland carpet, and their reaction to predators is often to sit still and make like a leaf³. When startled in the open, redwings head for cover in trees or bushes.

There are actually two races of redwing that visit Britain. The slightly paler  Scandinavian race T. iliacus iliacus, winter in Southern Britain, whereas the darker, streakier Icelandic race T.iliacus corburni  winter around Scotland and Ireland ^2,4. Of course there is some overlap , especially since redwings are not site-faithful at all during the winter and will move around depending on the weather and food availability, going south in harsher conditions ^1,3. Scandinavian birds sometimes fly all the way down to North Africa².

Some Icelandic birds don’t even bother going home, and actually breed in Northern Scotland ^1,4. This was first noticed in 1932 and numbers grew to around 80 pairs in the early 80’s, but have since fallen to less than 20 ^1,4. This small breeding population is why redwings have a red RSPB conservation status in the UK². It may be novel, but the over 1000 strong winter migrant population⁴ is perhaps a more important concern.

Wintering birds have also shown signs of decline, with lessreports of spectacular communal roosts². Perhaps this is because there are less fruiting hedges in our countryside. Even those that still exist are often cut too often by flailing to allow berry production.

As the colder seasons set in, look out for this winter special, that is perhaps more festive than our resident robin. Lay out a few apples in your garden as a helping hand to our winter thrushes and you may be lucky enough to be visited by a party of handsome redwing.

References

1- Graham Appleton. (2012) Bird of the Month: Redwing. BTO. Available from: http://www.bto.org/about-birds/bird-of-month/redwing

2- Mike Toms. (2010) The Wanderer Returns: REDWING. Bird Table, 64, 14-16. Available from: http://www.bto.org/sites/default/files/shared_documents/gbw/associated_files/bird-table-64-redwing-article.pdf

3- Dominic Couzens. (2012) Garden Birds Confidential. Bounty Books.

4- Peter Holden and Tim Cleeves. (2010) RSPB Handbook of British Birds (Third Edition). London, A&C Black.

Q is for Quail

QUAIL (COTURNIX COTURNIX)

At just 17 centimetres long, the quail (Coturnix coturnix)is our smallest and sweetest gamebird. It is also one of the most rarely seen.

The quail’s streaky buff, tan and chocolate markings provide excellent cryptic camouflage in the grassland habitats they favour. Their low stature and secretive habits help keep their cover. Males can be located by their distinctive “whip whip whip” call, often described as ‘wet my lips’ which they will shout out day and night. If you do see one, males are subtly different from females, with bolder, darker chin markings, whilst juveniles are plain-faced.

Despite being a weak flier, quails are our only migratory gamebird, arriving here to breed in spring and summer (April to September) from the warmer climes of North and Central Africa. In keeping with their secrecy, they fly under cover of darkness to avoid hawks and other birds of prey.

Unlike the swallow Hirundo rustica or the cuckoo Cuculus canorus though, quails are not reliable visitors to Britain. They reach our islands sporadically, in varying numbers each year.  They are never particularly common in Britain, with the usual number of just 100-300 pairs reaching up to around 2,600 in good ‘Quail years”¹.  Notable quail years have included  1970, 1983, 1989 and 2005¹. Quails are classed as a ‘rare breeding bird’ by the BTO, so any records are notable².

However, quail migration does follow an interesting pattern. The first wave of migrants arrive in April to May, breeding through to June and July, when the second wave arrives. The reason for this is simple, yet remarkable. The second wave are the first brood of youngsters from North Africa (Sired by parents from Central Africa). Meanwhile, young quails hatched in Britain migrate into Northern Europe².  This feat is possible because of the quail’s fast growth rate; juveniles have the strength to migrate at 2 months old and can breed at just 3 months ^2,3! This leapfrogging migration pattern is has more in common with butterflies, such as the painted lady Vanessa cardui than other birds.

You might think with such a high breeding rate, quails would be very numerous. In fact
Whilst captive quails have grown in popularity for their eggs, meat and as pets, their wild cousins are steadily declining. A number of factors are to blame for this, from habitat loss due to changes in farming practices and losses of semi-natural grassland, to droughts in their African wintering grounds and hunting in the Mediterranean³.

Of these, hunting is the most pressing conservation concern. Quails are strictly protected under the European Union’s Birds Directive, but illegal spring shooting and trapping continues on their migration through the Mediterranean, which selectively removes hundreds of breeding birds^4,5. Malta in particular is criticised for this practice, banned by the Government in 2009 but reopened in 2011 with annually increasing quail quotas⁵. Outside of Europe, such as in the Middle-East, quail shooting is also a popular sport and a tourism venture. Considering the small numbers arriving in Britain each year, this is a clear conservation issue and the fact that all but one of the BTO’s notable quail ringing recoveries were from shot birds is not surprising⁶.

Surprisingly then, the quail was a historically unpopular gamebird, rarely eaten at British banquets which featured so many other species⁷. The reason is not their small size but their toxicity.  The flesh of some quails is made bitter and poisonous by their habit of eating toxic plants-such as spurge- on migration^7,8. Apparently, only birds from East Africa are affected, but since the populations mix in the breeding grounds, it wasn’t considered worth the lottery. Quail poisoning , or “coturnism” was so common it has been mentioned in the Bible (Numbers 11:31-34) when the Israelites ate quail in Sinai, and eating quail was banned by the Romans in the first century. This makes the quail one of only five known poisonous birds⁸.

They may be small, but the quail’s secretive lifestyle hides some big secrets.  It’s clear that this unique gamebird deserves more protection if we want to hear them in our island’s summer fields in future years.



References

1-Chris Mead. (2000) Quail (Common Quail). The State of the Nations Birds. Available from: http://www.birdcare.com/bin/showsonb?quail

2-Dawn Balmer . (2009) Quail - the Painted Lady of the bird world? Available from: http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=1690

3- Peter Holden and Tim Cleeves. (2010) RSPB Handbook of British Birds (Third Edition). London, A&C Black.

4- Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS). (2010) Spring Hunting on Malta: Hunters have no sense  of 'sustainability'.  Available from: http://www.komitee.de/en/actions-and-projects/malta/spring-hunting

5-Charlie Moors. (2012) BirdLife Malta: ““Malta Taking Commission for a Ride”. Talking Naturally. Available from: http://www.talking-naturally.co.uk/birdlife-malta-malta-taking-commission-for-a-ride/

6- R.A. Robinson and J.A. Clark. (2013) The Online Ringing Report: Bird ringing in Britain & Ireland in 2012. Summary of all Ringing Recoveries for Quail (Coturnix coturnix). Available from: http://blx1.bto.org/ring/countyrec/resultsall/rec3700all.htm

7-  Fransesca Greenoak. (1979) All the Birds of the Air. A. Brown and Sons.

8-Dr Stefan Bartram and Professor Wilhelm Boland. (2001) Chemistry and ecology of toxic birds. ChemBioChem, 2, 809-811. In: Darren Naish. (2010) Death by toxic goose. Amazing waterfowl facts part II. Tetrapod Zoology. Available from: http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2010/06/19/death-by-toxic-goose/

P is for Pied Wagtail

PIED WAGTAIL (MOTACILLA ALBA)

 The dainty pied wagtail is a common and regularly seen across the country. This little bird brings a sprightly charm to our city streets. 

With their pied plumage and long tail, pied wagtails look a bit like a miniature magpie  Pica pica (some people unfamiliar with birds believe they are baby magpies). Male pied wagtails are truly black and white, whilst females have a grey wing mantle. As their name suggests, they almost constantly wag their long tail up and down. Nobody knows exactly why they perform this eccentric behaviour, but hypotheses include signalling to other wagtails, signalling their alertness to predators, providing camouflage against running water (which most wagtails are associated with), as a still silhouette would stand out against a moving background, or to startle their insect prey out of hiding¹.  People likened this streamside bobbing to a maid scrubbing washing in the river, giving it the local names “Polly dishwasher” and similar².

Pied wagtails get around by walking with bursts of zippy, skittering dashes, so fast their legs are a blur to our eyes. Their repetitive call is a spontaneous “chi-ssick” sounded from the ground or in bounding flight. Males also have a rambling song, which is rarely heard.

Of all our wagtails species*, the pied wagtail is the least associated with water. Though they are often found in wet places, they also prefer wide, open areas where they can easily pick out their prey on the ground and spot potential predators. Paved and tarmacked surfaces are ideal, and pied wagtails have taken well to our streets and car parks. Our cars provide an added bonus, as they will pick the squashed insects off number plates. 

Though they are mainly insectivores, pied wagtails are always grateful for a handout of crumbs. The only time a wagtail was encouraged into our garden was last year’s snowy winter when it fed on the crumbs of our fat balls, and in Falmouth, Cornwall there is a male wagtail missing a foot, who seems to make his living and feed his chicks on Cornish pasty crumbs.

After a frantic day feeding on the ground, wagtails gather to roost in a tree or other perch. These mass-roostings are a magical spectacle, with trees festooned with feathery bundles like a Christmas tree (in fact they often use town Christmas trees). They gather on the ground, roofs and nearby perches before circling into the roost together with a cacophony of excited chattering before they all settle down. These roosts may number hundreds or thousands of wagtails. The largest recorded, in a Kentish reedbed, held 5000 birds³!
Though they don’t physically huddle, these gatherings may create a warmer microclimate to help the small birds survive in cold nights. They often choose to roost under the warm glow of a street light or sometimes in greenhouses on hot water pipes³.  

As with many resident British Birds, numbers of pied wagtails are swelled by migrants from the North in the winter months. During this season when food is scarce, adult male pied wagtails are territorial, whilst females and subordinate males forage in flocks. Though sometimes the males tolerate another ‘satellite’ wagtail in their territory who helps to defend it ⁴.
Another rarer visitor on migration is the White Wagtail Motacilla alba alba, actually a sub-species of the pied wagtail from mainland Europe. It is similar to a female pied wagtail, but with paler grey wings and other slight plumage differences. 

Pied wagtails nest in crevices, often in old stone structures such as old walls and tiled roofs and will use open-fronted nest boxes. Their small, cup-shaped nest is made of grass and moss. When the juveniles fledge, they are mainly a grey-brown with black throat and wing markings until their second year. Pied wagtails are typically short-lived, but the oldest recorded was 11 years old⁴.

This little city slicker is a delight to have around, and next time you’re on the streets on a Friday night, it just might be worth looking up at the trees.

*The others are the Grey Wagtail M.flava and the migratory Yellow Wagtail M.cinerea

 References

1-      Dominic Couzens. (2012) Garden Birds Confidential. Bounty Books.

2-      Fransesca Greenoak. (1979) All the Birds of the Air. A. Brown and Sons.

3-      Michael.J. Seago (no date) Pied Wagtail. Birds of Britain. Available from: http://www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/bird-guide/pied-wagtail.asp

4-      R.A. Robinson.(2005) BTO BirdFacts: profiles of birds occurring in Britain & Ireland: Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba   [Linnaeus, 1758]. Available from: http://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob10200.htm