and heather, warmly lined with wool and rabbit fleck--will be repaired,
and at this season the male is magnificent to watch as he courts his
mate in beautiful aerial flight. Early in March the eggs, three to five
in number, are laid; they are bluish, densely speckled and blotched with
olive brown. The female takes sole charge of the duties of incubation,
while her mate, sitting near, keeps close watch and attacks with great
boldness and fury any other feathered marauder.
Too often, however, their labours are in vain and man steps in and
destroys the nest; but ever faithful to the old home, many pairs
continue ineffectually to breed year after year near the same spot, till
at last in their old age they succumb to some winter's storm and the
spot is the poorer by the loss of one of our noblest birds.
After the young are fledged they remain with their parents for some
months, till they are eventually driven out to make way for the new
brood of the following year.
The adult is of a deep, glossy, blue black. The female and young only
differ from the male in having less lustre on their plumage. Length 25
in.; wing 17 in.
THE CARRION CROW
Corvus corone, Linnæus
With every man's hand against it, the Carrion Crow, which as a scavenger
might well be one of our most useful birds, leads a harassed existence.
Singly or in pairs it wanders about the country, feeding on anything
that comes in its way. Carrion is its chief delight, but in default of
that it turns its attention to weak and sickly birds, mice, rats, etc.,
and, as is the case with other members of the Crow family, it does quite
as much good by destroying vermin as it does harm by destroying eggs and
young birds.
The nest is generally placed on the top of some high tree or on the
ledge of a cliff. It is made of sticks with an inner foundation of mud
and warmly lined with wool, bents, rabbit fleck, and hair. The eggs,
three to five in number, are very variable in markings, but except in
size resemble those of the Raven. For a short time after the young are
fledged they wander about in family parties, but they soon separate, and
after August more than a pair are seldom seen together, a fact which
will help to distinguish it at a distance from the Rook, who is nearly
always gregarious. In general appearance this bird is very like the
Rook, but it may be distinguished by the following characters. The bill
is much stouter and broader and not so long and slender; its colour is
black with a greenish gloss and not of a purplish blue, and the feathers
have white bases, while those of the Rook are grey; the bristles and
feathers at the base of the bill are never worn away as is always the
case with Rooks after their second moult. Length 19·5 in.; wing 13 in.
In this country it is generally distributed where not too strongly
persecuted, becoming commoner in Scotland; but in Ireland it is very
rare.
THE HOODED CROW
Corvus cornix, Linnæus
The question as to whether this bird, which interbreeds freely with the
Carrion Crow where their ranges overlap, is or is not a good species
need not trouble us here. Suffice it to say that in England it occurs
numerously as a regular winter immigrant, large numbers crossing the
North Sea and arriving on our eastern coasts. Over the rest of our
islands its distribution is somewhat capricious. In Wales and the
western counties it is rare, whereas in Ireland and Scotland it is well
distributed and resident.
In habits it resembles the Carrion Crow but is more found on the
sea-shore and estuaries than that species, though it is also found in
the wooded districts. The back, shoulder, breast, and under parts are
ashy grey, the rest of the body being black as in the Carrion Crow, of
which in size and all other respects it is the exact counterpart.
THE ROOK
Corvus frugilegus, Linnæus
There is no more delightful sound in early spring than the "caw" of the
Rooks at their "rookeries," as their breeding places are called. Year
after year they return regularly to the same clump of trees, on the tops
of which they build a fairly substantial nest of sticks, with an inner
foundation of mud which is in turn warmly lined with roots, straw, and
fine grass. The sites chosen for their homes are more frequently than
not near human habitations or on clumps of trees near a highway, and
exceptionally, they may choose pollards or low bushes, but as a rule the
nests are never less than twenty feet from the ground. The eggs are
bluish, with olive brown spots and blotches resembling those of the
Carrion Crow, but smaller and more variable.
The young leave the nest just before they can fly, and may then be seen
sitting on the topmost branches of the trees as they sway in the wind.
This is the time when they are shot for rook-pies, and also under the
impression that if they are not thinned out the colony will be deserted.
For this belief we are not aware that any proof exists, but curiously
enough colonies left to themselves tend to diminish. These birds are
rather capricious and will occasionally, even in the nesting season,
desert the colony; the presence in the neighbourhood of a pair of
Carrion Crows is sometimes the cause, but more often than not the reason
is not apparent. As soon as the young can fly, towards the middle or end
of May, the rookery is deserted: old and young keep together and wander
about the fields and arable land, digging deeply with their powerful
bills in search of larvæ and grubs, and destroying countless numbers of
wire worms, that renowned pest to agriculture. In this country it does
not migrate to any extent; certain plantations are used as regular
roosting-places, and as evening draws on in the winter months, long
strings of these birds may be seen slowly flying in their heavy
characteristic manner to their nightly shelter. Although the flight
appears heavy and laboured, they in reality travel at no mean pace, and
in their daily search for food often cover great distances. As in the
case of Jackdaws and Jays, there is a large immigration yearly on our
east coast during October and November, for in Scandinavia and the
northern portions of its breeding range it is a regular migrant.
Throughout the whole of our islands it is a common bird, but is rather
more local in Scotland, and it is only of recent years that it has
regularly bred in the extreme north. From continual digging in the
ground the feather follicles round the base of the bill become
destroyed, leaving a whitish patch of bare skin which is an unfailing
characteristic of the adult birds. In young individuals, however, the
feathers extend to the base of the bill and do not appear to be
permanently lost till during the second autumn moult. The sexes are
alike; their colour is a uniform deep and glossy purplish blue. The
young resemble their parents, but lack the gloss to their feathers.
Length 19 in.; wing 12·65 in.
[Illustration: ROOK
_Corvus frugilegus_
Adult (right). Young (left)]
THE SKYLARK
Alauda arvensis, Linnæus
Of all other birds the Lark is perhaps the one which typifies most
thoroughly the freedom of life, and brings to our minds scenes of wide
open country, where, bright, free, and unrestrained, he pours forth his
song in the boundless expanse of the air.
Hatched in a neat nest of bents and dry grass lined with finer materials
and placed on the ground in the middle of an open field, the youthful
Lark has early to contend with enemies. Mice and other ground vermin, or
the heavy foot of some grazing cattle, frequently destroy the nest and
its contents, and the fact that so many escape must be largely ascribed
to good luck.
His food is of a very varied nature and nothing comes amiss. The young
are fed exclusively on insects, but after leaving the nest they spend
their time eagerly feeding on seeds, berries, or anything that comes
their way. As summer wanes, giving place to autumn, they collect in
large flocks and seek the stubble fields, where the scattered grain
gives them abundant nourishment, and on which they become very fat. It
is at such times, while they are asleep by night, that they are netted
by hundreds for the market. This form of catching can, however, only be
successfully carried out shortly after dark on the blackest of nights,
for, like all wild animals, they seem to rest with one eye open, and
should there be the faintest glimmer of light they will be up and away
long before the bird-catcher is near them. In October they become
restless, and many wander to the coast, and thence to other countries,
their place being taken by the inhabitants of more northerly climates.
So the months pass, until a northerly gale and severe frost moves even
these hardy northerners, and at such times they may be seen migrating in
millions (for they travel almost entirely by day), relentlessly pursuing
a southerly course in front of the biting norther. With a change of wind
and temperature a large number will drift back again, but the movement
will not be so noticeable, and thus they pass their lives, wandering
wherever the weather and food may dictate, till in the very early days
of spring, or even on fine days throughout the winter, we may hear their
voluble song, breathing as it does the joy of freedom in every note.
This is almost always uttered on the wing. Springing from the ground
with rapid, fluttering wings, he rises perpendicularly higher and higher
till he is almost lost to sight in the clouds, though his song still
drifts down to us with unaffected clearness; higher and higher he goes,
and then in a spiral curve he slowly descends, the song ceasing as he
reaches a spot within a few feet of where he rose.
Nest-building is begun in April, and several broods are reared in a
season, the song being continued except when he is actually feeding
young in the nest.
The adult has the general plumage of a warm brownish tint, mottled and
streaked with a darker shade. There is a light-coloured superciliary
streak. The chin, throat, and upper breast and flanks are brownish buff
streaked with brown, rest of under parts yellowish white. The sexes are
alike in plumage but the female is rather smaller. Bird-catchers measure
them from tip to tip of the expanded wings, rejecting those which are
under one foot, as females. The young have the chin and throat
unspotted, and have pale edgings to the feathers of the upper parts.
Length about 7 in.; wing (of male) 4 to 5 in.
[Illustration: SKYLARK
_Alauda arvensis_
Adult (left). Young (right)]
THE WOOD LARK
Alauda arborea, Linnæus
The Wood Lark is a much rarer bird than the Skylark, and very local in
distribution. Rows of trees bordering open fields are the localities
chiefly favoured by this species, which, except that it frequently
perches, and may often be heard singing from the topmost branch of a
tree, much resembles its commoner congener in habits. It feeds almost
entirely on the ground, living chiefly on insects. The nest is placed a
few yards from the hedge and composed of bents and grass, with a lining
of finer materials. The eggs, usually four in number, are of a creamy
ground colour, very thickly freckled with reddish brown markings. This
species may be most easily distinguished by its song, which is much
sweeter and fuller in tone than that of the preceding bird, but lacks
the power and exuberance. When rising from the ground to sing, it always
does so in a wide spiral curve, differing in that respect also from the
Skylark, which rises straight.
The sexes are alike in plumage and resemble the Skylark, but it is a
smaller bird and has a short hind toe and is more heavily streaked on
the back. Length 6 in.; wing 3·6 in.
THE CRESTED LARK
Alauda cristata, Linnæus
The Crested Lark is a common species on the Continent, even as close to
our shores as the north of France, but very few examples have been known
to stray to this country. It is not gregarious like the Common Skylark,
and the song is not usually uttered on the wing, but in food and other
habits it does not differ much from our well-known species.
In general colour this species is much duller, and the beak is longer
and stouter than the Skylark, but its chief characteristics are the long
pointed crest, the large bastard primary, and the absence of white on
the tail. Length 6·75 in.; wing 4·1 in.
THE SHORT-TOED LARK
Alauda brachydactyla, Leisler
This bird is a resident, or partial migrant, throughout the whole of
Southern Europe, but it has been known to occur in Northern Germany,
Belgium, and the north of France. In Great Britain about half-a-dozen
examples have been taken at various times in the south and east.
Very similar in appearance to other Larks, but, as its name indicates,
the hind claw is short. The under parts are white and unspotted except
for a few streaks on the sides of the neck. Length 5·5 in.; wing 3·4 in.
THE WHITE-WINGED LARK
Alauda sibirica, J. F. Gmelin
This species breeds across Central Russia and through the Kirghiz
steppes as far as the Altai, migrating southwards in winter. Has only
once occurred in England. The bill is short and stout, and this species
may be at once recognised by the white inner primaries and secondaries,
which form a conspicuous patch. Length 7·5 in.; wing 4·6 in.
THE BLACK LARK
Melanocorypha yeltoniensis (Forster)
This species inhabits South Russia, Transcaspia, and Western Siberia. In
the winter of 1906 a small flock, consisting of both males and females,
arrived in Sussex, being presumably driven westwards owing to the
severity of the weather.
The male has the entire plumage jet black, but in winter this colour is
largely obscured by broad sandy margins to the feathers. The female is
pale sandy brown with darker markings, under parts white, spotted on the
throat and breast. Length about 7·7 in.; wing 5·3 in.
SHORE LARK
Otocorys alpestris (Linnæus)
A very different bird is this from the other Larks with which we have
been dealing. He is seldom seen in this country, and then only in small
numbers and at irregular periods.
The wide tundras of the North form his home, and there he may be found
plentifully, but as the long Arctic day gives way to the cold black
night, he reluctantly retires and passes the winter in the temperate
portions of the northern hemisphere. In these islands we are just on the
fringe of his wanderings, and almost every year a few stragglers put in
an appearance on our eastern coast in autumn; their visits are of but
short duration, and as a rule they quickly pass away southwards. With
very severe weather on the Continent, however, they may appear in some
numbers towards midwinter, and at such times remain with us till at the
first sign of coming spring they are off again to their dearly loved
home in the North.
General colour above pale sandy brown, tinged with rufous on the back of
the head and nape. Forehead and a superciliary stripe white; a band
across the head, lores, cheeks, and a triangular band across the chest,
black; rest of under parts white, inclined to rufous on the breast and
flanks. The female is smaller and duller. Length about 7 in.; wing 4·4
in.
THE SWIFT
Cypselus apus (Linnæus)
The causes that govern the migratory movements of birds are still
unknown. Some species are doubtless impelled by stress of weather or
lack of food to seek other quarters, but what power can it be that
brings the Swift thousands of miles from another continent to lay its
eggs and rear its young, and then precipitately to retire again when the
flies on which they feed are most abundant, and the warmest month of the
year has hardly begun? It is one of the last of the summer birds to
arrive, May being generally well advanced before we hear its harsh yet
pleasant scream of "swee ree," as it swerves in rapid flight round the
cottage or belfry which is to form its summer home.
This species is the most aerial of all our native birds, and is never
seen to settle except when entering the hole under the eaves where it
nests, and, in fact, owing to the length of its wing and shortness of
its legs, it cannot raise itself from a level surface should it once
settle.
Gregarious in its habits, it returns yearly to the same place, and,
entering through a hole or crevice under the eaves, nests there in
security. Swifts, as a family, differ from all other birds in using a
sticky, mucous saliva, with which to bind together rough bits of straw,
cobwebs, feathers, etc., which form their nest. The nests of certain
foreign species are formed entirely of this saliva, and such nests are
eaten with great relish and in large quantities by the Chinese. With our
species, however, the amount of saliva used is comparatively small; it
does not often collect material for its nest, but makes use of the
accumulation of rubbish usually found under roofs, and, hollowing out a
shallow depression, cements it into a permanent cup. Two or three dull,
oblong, white eggs form the clutch. The young when first hatched are
naked; they stay in the nest a long time, not leaving it until fully
fledged. When, however, they leave their home and drop into the air for
the first time, they fly off at once and appear as much at home on the
wing as their parents. For a few days they return to the nest to rest,
and then a week or two after they are fledged, about the beginning of
August, they leave us for their tropical winter home. These birds
occasionally perform curious aerial evolutions on warm summer nights. As
darkness comes on they become very restless, screaming round the tower
or belfry as they dash by in wide circles; gradually they rise higher
and higher in the air till they become mere specks, and are finally lost
in the darkness.
Here again our ignorance comes in and our story must end. Observers have
sat up in vain till two or three in the morning, awaiting their return.
Not one has reappeared, and yet the next day they will all be seen back
again, apparently unwearied by their restless night, but rather enjoying
to the full the marvellous powers of flight which they have inherited.
The sexes and young are alike in plumage and are of a uniformly dark
sooty brown, the chin and throat being dull white. The tail is short and
slightly forked; wings very long and narrow. The feet are extremely
feeble, the four toes all directed forward and having sharp, recurved
nails, which enable them to cling to perpendicular surfaces. Length 6·5
in.; wing 6·8 in. It is generally abundantly distributed throughout our
islands, but becomes scarcer in the North. It winters in Africa.
[Illustration: COMMON SWIFT
_Cypselus apus_]
THE ALPINE SWIFT
Cypselus melba, Linnæus
This is a much larger species than our common Swift and has only visited
these islands on very rare occasions, almost all the examples obtained
having been taken in the south of England. It breeds in the high
mountain ranges of Central and Southern Europe, and winters in Africa.
From our common species it may be distinguished by its larger size,
browner colour, and light under parts. Length 8 in.; wing 8·45 in.
Another species, the Needle-tailed Swift (_Acanthyllis caudacuta_) has
occurred on two occasions in England. It breeds in Central Asia,
migrating in winter to Australia, and except for these two instances is
unrecorded from Europe.
THE NIGHTJAR
Caprimulgus europæus (Linnæus)
Arriving, the latest of all our migrants, towards the middle of May, and
leaving again early in September, this strange bird is but little known
to the majority of people, although by no means uncommon in suitable
localities.
Its favourite haunts are gorse commons, and moorlands on the edge of
woods, especially where bracken grows freely, and in such situations it
may be found throughout our islands. The best time to see it is at dusk,
when it comes out to capture moths, beetles, and other crepuscular
insects which form its chief sustenance. Its flight is silent and very
bat-like, twisting and turning with great ease and agility, now and
again striking its wings together with a loud clap and uttering at the
same time a sharp little whistle. When resting on a branch, which it
invariably does lengthways, a curious reeling note or vibrating "churr"
is uttered.
No nest is made, but the two white eggs, boldly blotched and mottled
with brown and lilac, are laid on the bare ground without any attempt at
concealment. The bird sits very closely, and her dull greyish plumage so
assimilates with her surroundings that it is almost impossible to see
her until she rises and circles round, uttering a harsh "chuck, chuck."
The young, when first hatched, are covered with an ashy grey down, and
have, even at this tender age, the large mouth with enormous gape,
characteristic of this family. They do not remain in the nest till
fledged, but crawl about on the ground. They do not, however, attempt to
feed themselves, and are carefully tended by their parents till they are
well able to fly, when they at once quit this country to winter in
tropical Africa.
The plumage of both sexes is nearly alike, and is ashy grey, streaked
and spotted irregularly with brown. The male has a white spot near the
centre of each of the three outer primaries, and the two outermost pairs
of tail feathers are tipped with white. These white markings are absent
in the female. The young practically resemble the female Length 10·5
in.; wing 7·55.
One example each of two other species of this family, the Red-necked
Nightjar (_Caprimulgus ruficollis_) and the Egyptian Nightjar
(_Caprimulgus ægyptius_) have been taken in England. The first named is
a native of Southern Spain and North Africa as far east as Tunisia; the
breeding-quarters of the other are in South-east Europe, Egypt, Nubia,
and Tunisia. In general appearance they both closely resemble our common
species; the Red-throated may, however, be recognised by the tawny
collar encircling the head, and the Egyptian by the inner webs of the
primaries being pure white.
THE WRYNECK
Iynx torquilla, Linnæus
Under the name of the "Cuckoo's Mate" this species is well known in our
southern and south-eastern counties. Elsewhere in England it is rare or
local, and in Scotland and Ireland it is of very irregular occurrence.
The name "Cuckoo's Mate" is derived from the fact that its arrival
usually coincides pretty closely with that of the Cuckoo, namely during
the first week in April, but in other respects it has no connection in
habits or distribution with the better-known species. Owing to its dull
and unobtrusive plumage, and more especially from its custom of
inhabiting gardens and woods, it is not easy to see, though to those who
know its note, which is a sharp "qui, qui, qui," its presence will be
frequently made known. It feeds chiefly on ants, which it searches for
on the ground or on tree-trunks. These are rapidly conveyed to its mouth
by a quick motion of its long extensile tongue, which is coated with a
sticky mucus, and the rate at which this organ is shot forwards and
backwards is almost incredible, and reminds one rather of the tongue in
the chameleons and some other lizards. It breeds in the hole of a tree,
and the six round white eggs are laid on the wood itself without any
attempt at a nest. If the hole be visited during incubation the sitting
bird will utter a peculiar hissing noise, and at the same time twist her
neck in a most surprising manner. This habit, which is well calculated
to make the observer believe the hole to be tenanted by a snake, has
given rise to the name of "Snake-bird" as well as the better-known one
of Wryneck. The sexes are alike in plumage, the general colour being
greyish with dark streaks of brownish black on the nape and scapulars.
Throat, upper breast, and flanks yellowish, becoming paler on the belly,
with narrow black bars and arrow markings. The young are greyer, and
have no yellow or arrow-shaped markings on the under parts. Length 7
in.; wing 3·4 in.
Towards the end of September it takes its departure, but some
individuals frequently remain much later, and probably occasionally
spend the winter with us.
[Illustration: WRYNECK
_Iynx torquilla_]
THE GREEN WOODPECKER
Gecinus viridis (Linnæus)
The cheery "pleu, pleu, pleu" of the Yaffle as it flies from one tree to
another may be heard in most parts of England and Wales, though in
Scotland and Ireland it is almost unknown. It is a moderate-sized and
somewhat ungainly bird in its actions, spending its life among trees,
though it by no means restricts itself to woods, especially in autumn,
when it may frequently be seen ascending some hedgerow tree, with its
characteristic jerking motion, the stiff and pointed tail feathers
aiding it to cling to the trunk. Its food consists of insects, more
especially beetles and ants, which it finds in crevices of the bark, but
it often descends to the ground in search of food.
Its flight is direct and undulating, and it proceeds by a series of
rapid wing-beats followed by a short falling period, when the wings are
half closed. On the ground it progresses by short hops, and when
searching a tree for food, it ascends spirally from the base in short
jerks, flying off when near the top to recommence its search at the base
of another. Early in April it begins to excavate a nesting-hole,
choosing for preference a tree destitute of lower branches. A neat
circular hole is chiselled out, which is carried in horizontally for
some distance, and then turns downwards. No special nest is made, the
glossy white eggs, about five in number, being laid on the bare wood.
The young remain in the nest till they are full fledged, and then
scatter to earn their own living.
The general colour of the male is olive green, shading into yellow on
the rump and becoming greyer on the under parts. The crown and nape are
crimson, and there is a malar stripe of the same colour edged with
black. The female has less crimson on the head and the malar stripes are
black. The young are mottled on the back and spotted on the under parts
with blackish. Length 12·5 in.; wing 6·4 in.
THE GREATER SPOTTED WOODPECKER
Dendrocopus major (Linnæus)
Although it can nowhere be called abundant, this species is widely
distributed in well-wooded districts as far north as Durham, but in
Scotland it is a scarce bird, only nesting very sparingly in the south,
and in Ireland it is almost unknown. A quiet and shy bird, it is rarely
seen, keeping as it does to the higher branches of tall trees, and when
possible keeping the trunk between it and any would-be observer. In its
food and habits it resembles the Green Woodpecker, though it is
comparatively seldom seen on the ground. The call-note is a sharp, short
"chik," but it makes also a peculiar rattling sound by rapping its beak
against a bough. This sound, which is more often heard in early spring,
has been supposed to be made only at that season, but it may also be
heard, though less frequently, at other times of the year.
[Illustration: GREATER SPOTTED WOODPECKER
_Dendrocopus major_
Male (right). Female (centre). Young (left)]
In winter this species is much given to wandering, and every autumn our
local birds receive further additions from Scandinavia. It can hardly,
however, be considered a regular winter visitor, as such immigrations
are largely dependent on the season, and it is only at irregular periods
that really large numbers arrive.
The upper parts of the male are chiefly black; the forehead, cheeks, ear
coverts, and scapulars are white; nape crimson; wing feathers black,
barred with white on the outer webs; under parts whitish; vent crimson.
The female lacks the red on the head, but the young of _both_ sexes have
the crown red. Length 9·4 in.; wing 5·5 in.
LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER
Dendrocopus minor (Linnæus)
In many well-wooded localities in the south, the Lesser Spotted
Woodpecker may be almost considered common, though from its small size
and partiality to the topmost branches of tall trees, it is but seldom
seen. In Wales and north of the Midlands it becomes extremely local, and
in Scotland and Ireland it has only been obtained as a rare straggler on
a few isolated occasions. In food and habits it hardly differs from its
larger congener, but the nest is generally hewn out in some _dead_ tree.
It has not occurred on migration. The male has the upper parts chiefly
black, barred with white; the forehead buff; crown of the head crimson;
nape and malar stripe black; cheeks white. The under parts are buffish
white with black streaks on the flanks. The female has only got a little
red on the fore part of the head. Length 6 in.; wing 3·7 in.
THE KINGFISHER
Alcedo ispida, Linnæus
In spite of the ease with which he may be caught, and the demand for his
skin brought about by his fatal beauty, we are still able to reckon the
Kingfisher as a generally distributed species.
Representative of a family which is essentially associated with tropical
climes, he still wears his brilliant dress in these northern latitudes,
and resembles, as he darts with rapid flight down our rivers and
streams, some huge turquoise.
Having fixed on a favourite piece of water, he seldom wanders far
afield, but may be seen at all times of the year, sitting on an
overhanging bough, ever and anon dropping into the water to seize some
passing fish. His prey being captured, he returns to his perch and kills
the struggling fish by knocking it against his stand; it is then
swallowed head first, and he resumes his motionless watch. If sport be
slow, and he be hungry, he will wend his way with rapid flight down the
river to try his luck in another place, and it is at such times that we
shall probably get a momentary glimpse of his brilliancy, till a curve
in the stream hides him from sight.
[Illustration: KINGFISHER
_Alcedo ispida_]
Mere cold does not seem to affect him in the least, but when the streams
are frozen he suffers greatly from hunger, and after a day or two of
frosty weather he reluctantly leaves his accustomed home for the milder
reaches of the sea-shore, where the restless tide brings him in a
continual supply of food. The sea-shore, however, is not to his taste,
and at the first break-up of the frost he returns again to his
inhospitable home. Early in April he turns his attention to
housekeeping. Like most bright-plumaged birds, he has no song with which
to woo his mate, but at such times they may often be seen chasing each
other about up and down the stream, uttering their shrill and sharp
call-note. A perpendicular wall in the bank of the river is chosen, and
near the top of this they excavate a long low tunnel with the end
slightly widened out to form a chamber. The nest is peculiar, being
formed of a mass of small regurgitated bones, and on this the six pure
white and highly glossed eggs are laid. As soon as the young are fledged
and thoroughly able to earn their own living, they are driven away from
their home and forced to seek winter-quarters elsewhere. Many,
especially in the northern portions of its range, go to the sea-shore
and migrate, while others seek out some quiet stream where they may fish
in undisputed possession, till the return of spring impels them to seek
a mate and form a home for themselves. The sexes are practically alike
in plumage. The top of the head, wings, and malar stripe are dark
greenish blue, mottled with lighter; back and rump brilliant cobalt
blue; tail dark blue. The under parts, lores, and ear coverts are
chestnut; throat whitish; bill black, orange at the base; legs deep red.
The young bird is duller and shows traces of greenish on the breast.
Length 7·5 in.; wing 3 in.
THE ROLLER
Coracias garrulus, Linnæus
Although stragglers of this beautiful and brilliant species have
frequently visited this country in both the spring and autumn
migrations, it can by no means be considered as a regular visitor to our
shores. It is very numerous in Southern Europe and breeds as far north
as St. Petersburg and certain parts of Sweden; in the countries
bordering the North Sea, however, it is decidedly rare. In winter it
inhabits the southern portion of Africa, being numerous in Cape Colony
and Natal.
The sexes are alike. The head, neck, and under parts are of a brilliant
greenish blue, the mantle is brown, and there is a patch of gorgeous
ultramarine blue on the lesser wing coverts. Length 12 in.; wing 7·7 in.
THE BEE-EATER
Merops apiaster, Linnæus
A good many stragglers of this southern species have occurred from time
to time, chiefly in the southern half of England, but a few have also
been taken in Scotland and Ireland. In Southern Europe it is extremely
abundant throughout the summer, wintering in Africa. The sexes are
alike. The head, neck, upper back, and a bar across the secondaries are
chestnut brown; forehead white, turning to green; lores and ear coverts
black; tail green, two central feathers elongated and tipped with black.
Throat yellow; a black band across the lower neck; under parts greenish
blue. Length 11·25 in.; wing 6 in.
HOOPOE
Upupa epops, Linnæus
In the spring of every year, with unfailing regularity, a few misguided
individuals of this interesting bird seek the hospitality of our shores,
and, were they unmolested, would eventually settle as one of our
permanent summer visitors in the southern counties. Unfortunately, apart
from its striking plumage, which cannot fail to arrest attention, it is
of a very confiding nature, stalking about lawns and grass fields with
its peculiar walk, while it prods the ground with its long bill in
search of grubs and insects. Such a sight is too much for the so-called
collector or ignorant loafer, whose only idea on seeing a strange bird
is to kill it, and thus it happens that our would-be guest either
reposes as a fearful caricature in a glass case till moth and rust have
done their work, or is frightened off to some other country where his
appearance excites less curiosity and murder. From time to time,
however, protected by some enlightened farmer or landowner, this species
has been spared to pass the summer unmolested, and, choosing a hollow
tree, preferably in an orchard or near some open grass fields, has
reared a young brood to maturity and finally departed in peace to spend
the winter in Southern Europe or Africa.
The nest is placed in a hole in some tree, and the eggs, seven in
number, are of a uniform pale greenish blue.
General colour of the head, mantle, and under parts pale cinnamon; wings
and tail black, broadly barred with white. Lower back broadly barred
with black, white, and buff. The sexes and young resemble each other in
plumage. Length 12·2 in.; bill 2·5 in.; wing 6 in.
THE CUCKOO
Cuculus canorus, Linnæus
The arrival of the Cuckoo, as heralded by his well-known note, is
eagerly awaited by every one who lives in the country, ornithologist or
otherwise, and so anxious are some to record his arrival, that they
persuade themselves that they have heard him before the March winds have
abated. There is little doubt, however, that this species rarely, if
ever, arrives in March, and not before mid-April can his pleasing note
be generally heard. Throughout the whole of our islands this bird is
common and well known, inhabiting equally the wild open country, the
enclosed arable land, or thickly-wooded estates. It feeds entirely on
insects, especially caterpillars, those of the common Tiger-moth being
an especially favourite delicacy. Its flight is direct and fairly rapid,
the short wings and long tail giving it very much the appearance of a
Sparrow-Hawk, for which it is frequently mistaken by the smaller birds,
and mobbed accordingly.
[Illustration: CUCKOO
_Cuculus canorus_
Adult (below). Young (above)]
This bird solves housekeeping difficulties in the simplest way by
leaving its eggs to the tender mercies of other species. It apparently
usually watches other birds when building, and as soon as the chosen
nest contains a few eggs, it lays its own egg on the ground, and picking
it up in its beak deposits it in the nest, throwing out at the same time
a few of the rightful eggs. The eggs are, as a rule, deposited one by
one in a different nest of the same species, and when two Cuckoo's eggs
are found in the same nest, they are almost assuredly the produce of two
different birds. Having deposited its eggs, the mother Cuckoo takes no
further interest in her progeny, but continues to lead a life of
leisure, till early in August both sexes leave us for their southern
winter-quarters. The eggs of this species are extremely variable, but as
a rule are of a pale bluish or greenish ground colour, with reddish
spots and mottlings; sometimes they agree so closely with the eggs of
their foster-parents as to be almost indistinguishable, but such cases
are exceptional. When the young Cuckoo has been hatched about
twenty-four hours, he sets to work to eject the other nestlings by
getting them on his back, in which there is a hollow, and pushing them
over the side of the nest. He is most importunate in his demands for
food, and continues to be a burden on the foster-parents long after he
is able to feed himself. Once, however, he is fledged, he wings his way
southwards and we see him no more, till he returns the following spring
to gladden us with his cheering "cuckoo." Various species of
insectivorous birds are made use of as foster-parents, and there is no
doubt that much discrimination is exercised by the mother Cuckoo as to
where and when to deposit her egg. The nests most favoured in this
country are those of the Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Hedge Sparrow,
Sedge and Reed Warblers, but over sixty different species of British
Birds have been made use of at various times. Practically nothing is
known as to whether Cuckoos pair, or if the female receives the
attentions of several males, and the number of eggs laid by a single
bird in the season is also doubtful, though about eight is said to be
the number. Many interesting problems are thus still unsolved about one
of our commonest birds, and if his character be not a very estimable
one, we can but marvel at the workings of evolution which has enabled so
curious and complicated a method of parasitism to be sufficiently
successful to ensure the perpetuation of the race. It must be remembered
that for the successful rearing of each young Cuckoo the mother has to
find and recognise the nest of an insectivorous bird, and to lay her egg
during the five days in which the foster-parent elect is laying her
clutch. As regards the various stages of evolution that have caused the
young Cuckoo to evolve as a murderer at his birth, and that have
provided him with the means in the shape of a special hollow in his
back, we know nothing, and can in the present state of our knowledge
merely leave the problem in wonder and amazement.
The male is clear greyish ash on the back and throat; tail feathers
blackish with small white spots on the margin. Under parts whitish, with
dark bars on the flanks. The young vary considerably and are generally
dark brown, more or less barred with rufous on the upper parts. Length
13 in.; wing 8·5 in.
THE GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO
Coccystes glandarius (Linnæus)
On three or four occasions this bird has been obtained in England and
Ireland. It is a native of North Africa and South Spain, where it
breeds, migrating in winter to South Africa. Its eggs are almost always
deposited in the nest of a Magpie, but other members of the Crow family
are sometimes chosen. The general colour is greyish brown, most of the
feathers tipped with white; under parts white. The crown is grey, with
long pointed crest. Length 15·5 in.; wing 8 in.
THE AMERICAN YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO
Coccyzus americanus (Linnæus)
Some half-dozen examples of this American species have occurred on our
western shores during the autumn migration. It is about the size of our
Cuckoo, olive-brown above, and buffish white below. Each of the tail
feathers are tipped with white. Length 11 in.; tail 6 in.; wing 5·40 in.
THE BARN OWL
Strix flammea, Linnæus
After many years' patient preaching, the Barn Owl is at last beginning
to be recognised as a friend to be encouraged, rather than as an enemy
to be slain, and it is now on the increase throughout England, Wales,
and Ireland. In Scotland it has always been local in the south and rare
in the north.
The species is strictly nocturnal, and darkness has usually fallen
before it sallies forth from its hiding-place in a barn, an old church
tower, or a hollow tree.
It feeds almost entirely on rats, mice, and such small deer, and rarely
takes any small birds, as they are always securely roosting by the time
the Barn Owl comes out. From its habits of choosing barns and old
buildings, this species more than any other is deserving of man's
protection, since its favourite hunting-grounds are round the
farm-yards, where it destroys those vermin that are of most immediate
nuisance to the farmer.
The note is a harsh high-pitched scream, which has earned for it the
name of "Screech Owl," but when in its hole it makes a heavy snoring
sound, and has also a curious habit of waving its head from side to
side. When seen from above down a dark hole, the motion being just dimly
visible, it has a very uncanny appearance.
[Illustration: BARN OWL
_Strix flammea_]
The eggs, oval in shape and pure white like those of all Owls, are laid
without any attempt at a nest. They are generally laid in clutches of
two, at intervals of some days, so that four or six young of varying
ages are generally found in the nest together. Unlike most of the other
Owls, the first plumage of the young is composed of true feathers,
whereas in most of the other species the young are at first clothed,
with the exception of the wings and tail, in a plumage of downy
feathers, which after being worn for a short time is exchanged for the
full plumage.
The general colour above is buffish orange, minutely speckled and
vermiculated with grey. The under parts are white, sometimes slightly
buffish on the chest, and with a few minute black specks. The sexes are
alike, but the female is said to be more speckled on the under parts.
The young resemble the adults. Length 13·5 in.; wing 11·25 in.
THE LONG-EARED OWL
Asio otus (Linnæus)
Though it is distinctly commoner in Scotland, this species is not rare
in any of the wooded districts of our islands. It is very partial to fir
woods or evergreen plantations, and early in the year takes possession
of an old nest or squirrel's drey in which to deposit its six white
eggs. The young are chiefly fed on rats and mice, but moths and beetles
are also eaten with relish, while small birds are not despised. The
daytime is spent among the branches of the trees, and when alarmed by
any noise the bird draws itself up and leans against the trunk of the
tree, in which position it may easily be overlooked. It flies out at
dusk and ranges the fields near woods for its prey.
In the northern parts of Scotland it is a regular migrant, but elsewhere
within these islands it is resident, though immigrations from the
Continent occur every year. It is a very silent bird, but occasionally
gives rise to a short mellow bark.
The sexes resemble each other and are buffish, heavily speckled and
vermiculated with dark brown, ashy, and white. The markings of the young
are yellowish, and warmer in tint. The name is derived from two longish
tufts of feathers above the facial disc, which can be erected at will.
Length 14 in.; wing 11·5 in.
THE SHORT-EARED OWL
Asio accipitrinus (Pallas)
Unlike the preceding species, this bird inhabits fens, marshes, and open
moorlands. In Scotland it nests fairly commonly, but in England it is
decidedly rare and local as a breeding species, while it has never been
known to breed in Ireland.
The nest is placed on the ground, at the foot of a small bush in long
sedge, or among heather. No real nest is made, but a few bits of grass
or heather are arranged round the eggs. These are usually five in
number, and, like all Owls' eggs, pure white. In some seasons these Owls
become much more abundant in certain places, due generally to a great
increase in their food, which consists almost entirely of field-voles.
In the years when these voles increase to an enormous extent, this
species will also appear nesting in considerable numbers, where it was
almost unknown before, and in such seasons as many as twelve eggs have
been found in a clutch. It is by no means a nocturnal bird but takes its
food by day, and may thus be easily noticed on its approach in a new
locality. The flight is somewhat heavy and uncertain, frequently
twisting about and rolling from side to side.
[Illustration: LONG-EARED OWL
_Asio otus_]
In autumn, large immigrations reach this country from abroad, and during
the winter it becomes quite common in suitable places throughout England
and Ireland. He is frequently flushed from the turnip-fields in October,
and is for this reason known in some places as the "Woodcock Owl."
In plumage it resembles the preceding species, but the markings are
bolder and the delicate grey vermiculations are entirely absent. The ear
tufts are much shorter. Length 14·5 in.; wing 12 in.
TAWNY OWL
Syrnium aluco (Linnæus)
The Tawny Owl is a common inhabitant of the well-wooded parts of
England, Wales, and Scotland, though in the north of the last-named
country it becomes decidedly scarce and local. In Ireland it has not yet
been obtained. It nests early in March, the eggs being usually placed in
a hollow tree, though it often makes use of deserted nests of Rooks,
Crows, or Hawks, and sometimes nests on the ground at the base of a
tree. The eggs are white and glossy and much rounder in shape than those
of the Barn Owl. It is extremely nocturnal, never appearing till quite
dark, and seldom pursuing its prey in the open, but keeping to glades
and rides in the woods. Its hoot is a loud "hoo hoo," and is repeated
with great frequency. This species is never met with on migration, but
is one of the most resident of birds, rarely wandering far from its
birthplace.
The sexes are alike, except that the female is slightly larger. The
general colour is usually of a warm tawny brown, mottled and streaked
with darker shades of the same colour; the under parts are pale buffish
white, striped with dark brown. There are two phases of this species
which are alike in markings, but in one the predominating tint is red
and in the other grey. Length 15 in.; wing 10 in.
TENGMALM'S OWL
Nyctala tengmalmi (J. F. Gmelin)
This species is an inhabitant of the pine forests of Northern Europe,
migrating southwards in winter. A few stragglers have occurred in these
islands from time to time. The general colour above is umber brown,
spotted and marked with white; the facial disk is white with a dark
outer ring; under parts whitish, barred and streaked with brown. Length
9 in.; wing 6·5 in.
[Illustration: TAWNY OWL
_Syrnium aluco_]
The plumage of this species is exceptionally thick and downy; the
feathers on the legs and toes especially so.
THE LITTLE OWL
Athene noctua (Scopoli)
This bird has undoubtedly occurred on many occasions as a straggler in
this country, but its claim as a British Bird now rests on introductions
which have been made in Kent, Northampton, Bedford, Yorkshire, and other
places where it has more or less established itself as a breeding
species, and is slowly extending its range from at least one of these
centres. It is a small species, living chiefly on insects and mice, and
is generally found in well-wooded country, where it may be often seen
sitting on a dead tree or post, sunning itself, for it is largely
diurnal in its habits.
The plumage above is a warm brown spotted with white; under parts white
striped with brown. The female is rather larger than the male. Length
about 9 in.; wing 6 in.
In this species the feathers on the legs and toes are quite short, being
little more than bristles on the latter, a point by which it may be
easily distinguished from the preceding species.
THE SNOWY OWL
Nyctea scandiaca (Linnæus)
The Arctic regions both in summer and winter form the home of this large
and handsome species, though many wander southwards during the winter
months.
In the Shetlands and Orkneys it is a fairly regular winter visitor
during severe weather, and it has frequently occurred in Scotland; to
England and Ireland, however, its visits are few and far between.
The plumage is pure white, spotted and barred with dark brown, the
amount of which varies greatly in individuals. Length of male 22 in.;
wing 15·5 in. The female is slightly larger.
THE HAWK OWL
Surnia funerea (Linnæus)
The Hawk Owl inhabits the pine forests of Northern Europe, Siberia, and
North America. It has occurred here as a straggler on several occasions,
the majority of examples having been shot in the western counties of
England and Scotland, and belonging curiously enough to the American
race, which has the bars of the under parts more ruddy than the European
form. This latter form has, however, also been obtained on at least one
occasion.
The upper parts are brown, spotted with white; under parts white barred
with greyish or reddish brown. Its most characteristic feature is the
tail, which is long and graduated, barred and tipped with white. Length
about 15 in.; tail 7·5 in.; wing 9·2 in.
THE SCOPS OWL
Scops giu (Scopoli)
A migratory species, wintering in Abyssinia and Northern Africa, and
breeding in Southern Europe, the Scops Owl has occurred as a straggler
to our islands a good many times. The general colour is grey, barred and
vermiculated with brown; it has two conspicuous ear tufts. The female
slightly exceeds the male in size. Length, male, 7·5 in.; wing 5·8 in.
THE EAGLE OWL
Bubo ignavus, T. Forster
This large and fine species has been obtained several times in England
and Scotland, but though some of the instances are undoubtedly those of
genuine wanderers, it is so often kept in captivity that several
occurrences must be looked upon as those of escaped birds.
It is widely distributed throughout the wilder districts of Europe, both
in forest and open country, from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean.
The general colour is dark brown, mottled with brownish buff above, and
yellowish brown streaked with darker below. The female is larger than
the male. Length of male 24 in.; wing 18 in.
THE GRIFFON VULTURE
Gyps fulvus (J. F. Gmelin)
A single immature example of this species was taken in the spring of
1843, in Cork Harbour. The nearest breeding place of this species is in
the Pyrenees, and thence eastwards it occurs throughout Southern Europe.
The sexes are alike and their general colour is buffish brown; the head
and neck are devoid of feathers but covered with buffish down, which is
separated from the feathers of the neck by a broad ruff. Length 42 in.;
wing 28 in.
THE EGYPTIAN VULTURE
Neophron percnopterus (Linnæus)
This is another South European species of which two examples have been
obtained, one in Somersetshire and one in Essex.
The adult is white with black primaries, the head and neck being bare of
feathers and yellow in colour. The young bird is dark brown and does not
acquire its full plumage for three years. Length 26 in.; wing 19 in.
THE MARSH HARRIER
Circus æruginosus (Linnæus)
Formerly this species used to breed regularly in many places in England,
where large stretches of marsh-land suitable to its habits were to be
found. A pair or two may occasionally still try to rear a brood in East
Anglia, but owing to the drainage of the fens, it is no longer known in
any of its former haunts. In Ireland, where it was formerly fairly
common, its breeding area is restricted to one locality. To Scotland it
has always been an extremely rare visitor. On migration small numbers of
this species visit England and Wales yearly. The nest is a fairly
substantial structure, built of reeds and grass, and placed on the
ground. The eggs, which generally number five, are pale bluish white
without any other markings.
In plumage this species varies greatly according to age; the adult male
is dark brown on the back, head creamy white with dark streaks, wing
coverts and tail silvery grey; primaries blackish. Under parts buff
streaked with brown. In the female the tail and under parts are brown.
Young birds are chocolate brown; the entire crown of the head is buffish
white in the males, but in the females the nape only is yellowish.
Length (of males) 21 in.; wing 16 in.
THE HEN HARRIER
Circus cyaneus (Linnæus)
In England, thanks to the game-preserver, this species is now extremely
scarce, and very few pairs, if any, are allowed to nest. In Scotland and
Ireland, where it was formerly fairly plentiful, it is fast decreasing
in numbers. On migration it is still not uncommon in the north, and the
passage of stragglers through England is of yearly occurrence, but very
few remain to spend the winter in any part of this country. It frequents
large open moorlands, which, like all Harriers, it regularly quarters in
its search for food. This consists of young birds, rats, mice, and frogs
or lizards. The nest is made of roots, heather, and plant stems, and the
eggs are bluish white, often faintly spotted with reddish brown.
The adult male is slate grey with white rump and white under parts, the
throat and breast being bluish grey. The female and young are brown
above with the exception of the rump, which is white; tail brown with
five dark bars, whence the name "Ring Hawk," which is applied to the
females and young of this species. Length 21 in.; wing 15 in.
MONTAGU'S HARRIER
Circus cineraceus (Montagu)
Although the commonest of our British Harriers, this species is
nevertheless exceedingly scarce and local. It is a migrant, arriving
towards the middle of April, and in some of the open moorlands and fenny
localities in the south and south-east of England a few pairs yearly
attempt to breed.
The sight of this grand bird, as it quarters the ground backwards and
forwards in search of food, is an exquisite pleasure to the true
naturalist, but in spite of the protection afforded by law, it is
ruthlessly destroyed, either by the gamekeeper or the collector of
British killed specimens, whenever seen. In habits it closely resembles
the Hen Harrier. It nests on the ground, and its bluish white eggs are,
as in the case of that species, often speckled with rusty red.
The upper parts, throat, and breast of the male are slaty grey; the
hinder parts white, streaked with rufous on the flanks. Tail feathers
greyish with five rusty red bars on all except the middle pair. The
female, who is slightly larger than the male, is brown above and buff
streaked with rufous below. The young resemble the female but are much
darker below. Length about 18 in.; wing 15·4 in.
To Scotland and Ireland this bird is only a very rare straggler.
THE COMMON BUZZARD
Buteo vulgaris, Leach
Years ago this species might fairly have been called common in our
islands, but the gamekeeper, who has much to answer for in the
extirpation of many species, has not failed to wage war on this
beautiful bird. If we still want to see him, as he soars round in
graceful curves over his forest home, we shall have to journey to the
wilder parts of Wales and Scotland, where alone he is still able to hold
his own. Over the rest of our islands he is, as a breeding species, no
longer extant, though every year a few migrants from abroad seek our
hospitality, only to be killed by the first keeper that sees them.
The nest is placed either on a ledge of a cliff or in the fork of a
tree, and is a bulky structure of sticks, lined and surrounded with
fresh leaves, which are continually renewed as they wither. The eggs,
four in number, are bluish white, marked with rusty red near their
larger end. Both sexes incubate, and if the nest be approached, circle
round and round the intruder with piteous "mewing" note. As far as game
birds are concerned, this species is practically harmless, feeding
almost entirely on ground game, frogs, and reptiles, so that no one can
have any excuse for destroying it.
It is a very variable species; the general colour is dark brown above
and below with a whitish band showing longitudinal dark stripes on the
breast, but in some individuals there is very much more white. The young
bird is usually paler on the upper parts. The female only differs from
the male in her slightly larger size. Length about 22 in.; wing 15·5 in.
THE ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD
Buteo lagopus (J. F. Gmelin)
The Rough-legged Buzzard, which differs from the Common Buzzard in
having the legs feathered to the toes, is a regular autumn migrant to
this country, especially in the north and east of Scotland. In some
years its numbers are much greater than in others, so that for a time it
becomes common even down to the south and east of England. In Ireland it
has only been noticed on a few rare occasions.
It is a common and numerous species on the Continent, breeding within
the limits of the Arctic Circle, and wandering southwards in winter. In
habits and appearance, except for the feathered tarsus, it resembles the
preceding species. Length about 23 in.; wing 17·2 in.
THE SPOTTED EAGLE
Aquila maculata (J. F. Gmelin)
At long intervals stragglers belonging to this species have been taken
in these islands, all of them during the last three months of the year.
This species is a summer migrant to Central and Southern Europe, from
whence it migrates on the approach of winter to Africa, large numbers
passing down the Nile Valley.
The adult is of a warm brown all over, but the young bird has the
feathers of the upper parts tipped with buff, and the lower parts
striped with ochreous. Length of male 19 in.; the female is slightly
larger.
THE GOLDEN EAGLE
Aquila chrysaetus (Linnæus)
This magnificent bird has only been preserved to us as a breeding
species owing to the strict protection afforded to the deer in the
Highlands and some of the outlying islands off the west coast of
Scotland. Thanks to this, it is slightly on the increase in some places,
though, as it meets with a speedy death should it trespass over a grouse
moor, it can never become generally common. It is a truly grand bird to
watch as it soars and circles over the few miles of country to which it
claims suzerain rights, and eminently worthy of protection as an object
of natural beauty.
The eyrie, which is resorted to year after year, is placed on the ledge
of a crag or more rarely in a tree. It is a vast accumulation of sticks,
to which additions are made every year, and is lined with tufts of
grass. The eggs, usually two in number, are bluish white, marked to a
greater or lesser extent with reddish brown.
Its food consists chiefly of mountain hares, though it also takes birds,
lambs, and occasionally the fawns of the deer; but although it does
sometimes take grouse, they do not form its chief food, and certainly
the numbers taken are not sufficient to warrant its destruction.
[Illustration: GOLDEN EAGLE
_Aquila chrysaetus_]
It does not chase its prey, but having marked them down, pounces on them
as they lie.
In Ireland a few pairs still breed in the wilder parts of the north and
west, but elsewhere in our islands it is very rarely seen, as it is not
given to wandering far from its accustomed haunts. In England it is
exceedingly rare, most of the reported occurrences being immature
examples of the next species.
The general colour is a uniform dark brown, tawny on the nape. Except in
its larger size, the female resembles the male. Young birds may be
distinguished by the white bases to the outer tail feathers. Length
about 23 in.; wing 24 in.
THE WHITE-TAILED EAGLE
Haliaetus albicilla (Linnæus)
This species, which was never common in any part of our islands, is now
only found as a breeding bird on a very limited number of stations on
the west coast of Ireland and Scotland. In autumn immature birds are
frequently observed round our English coasts on their southward
migration.
The nest is placed usually on an inaccessible crag by the sea-shore, and
is a vast accumulation of sticks and rubbish, which is yearly augmented.
The eggs are two in number and dull white without any markings. The
habits and food are similar to the Golden Eagle, but it occasionally
takes fish, and feeds more readily on carrion.
Old birds are dark brown with nearly white head and neck and white tail.
Immature birds are brown mottled with fulvous on the upper parts and
with a brown tail.
This species takes about five years to become adult, and all varieties
between these two plumages may be met with. Length about 34 in.; wing 25
in.
THE GOSHAWK
Astur palumbarius (Linnæus)
This species is common throughout the wooded districts of Northern and
Central Europe, and has only occurred in these islands at long
intervals, almost always on the east coast of Scotland or England. In
Ireland it is practically unknown.
In olden times falconers (for this species was in great demand for
hawking) used to liberate adults in the spring in order to procure the
young when they nested, and in this manner there is no doubt that it
became established for several centuries, but it is now over a hundred
years since the last English-bred nestling was obtained.
It inhabits wooded districts, and seizes its prey, which consists of
both mammals and birds, on the ground.
The adult is brown on the back; the under parts are white barred with
dull black. The young is brown above and buff striped with dark brown
below.
Length 20 in.; wing 12 in. The female is slightly larger.
THE SPARROW-HAWK
Accipiter nisus (Linnæus)
Numerous and abundant throughout our woodland districts, it must be
confessed that this species, especially when rearing its young, does
undoubtedly considerable damage among the pheasant coops, and there is
less to be said in favour of this bird than is the case with most of the
other birds destroyed by the game-preserver.
Inhabiting woods, it is not so often seen as the wind-hovering Kestrel,
nor is its flight powerful. When hunting, it flies low along a hedgerow
or the outskirts of a wood, pouncing suddenly upon any hapless bird that
may dart out in front of it. Birds form its principal prey, but it will
also take mice, moles, or any other living thing which comes under its
notice.
A substantial nest of sticks is built high up in some fir or evergreen.
A former nest is often used, sometimes after a lapse of several years.
The eggs are extremely handsome, being pale blue with very bold
mottlings and markings of deep reddish brown. The same coppice is
resorted to yearly, although one of the parents may be shot on the nest
and the young destroyed.
The adult male, which is much smaller than the female, is slate blue on
the upper parts, with rufous on the cheeks and ear coverts. The under
parts are pale buff, barred with reddish brown, some individuals being
much redder than others. The female is brown on the back and the under
parts are whitish, barred with brown. The young, except in size,
resemble the female, but the under parts are striped instead of barred.
This species is, however, extremely variable in colour and markings.
Length of male 13 in.; wing 7·7 in. Female 15·4 in.; wing 9 in.
THE KITE
Milvus ictinus, Savigny
Although once so abundant that it used, some two or three centuries ago,
to feed on offal in the London streets, the remnant of our indigenous
Kites are now reduced to some dozen individuals in the more remote parts
of Wales. The gamekeeper, the egg-collector, and even the salmon-angler
have all combined to destroy this noble species, and even now, when it
is far too scarce to do any harm, a vandal has recently shot one of the
remnant, and owing to a fault in the administration of the law has got
off scot free. It will not be until we have public opinion aroused
sufficiently to protect our natural beauties that this ruthless
extermination of any rare bird will be stopped. Certain species, _e.g._
Robin, Thrush, Nightingale, House Martin, etc., are so well protected by
that opinion as to become almost too numerous in certain places. The
shooting of many of our rarer wanderers can do no great harm if the lust
for killing rare birds must be indulged in, but our rare resident or
breeding migrants should never be destroyed. We cannot replace what is
thus killed, and these living bits of Nature form a heritage left us by
former generations, which it becomes our duty to hand on to the future.
For even in the immediate present the delight of seeing the living bird
in its native haunts is not confined to ornithologists, but thousands,
rich and poor, appreciate intensely the sight of one of our larger and
rarer species, amidst its natural surroundings; and no censure can be
too strong for the man who wilfully destroys that creature for his own
selfish ends, whether for the sake of having its stuffed effigy in a
glass case, or that he may bag a larger number of pheasants in due
season. It is a crime as great or greater than the stealing of art
treasures from our National Gallery.
The wide circling flight of the Kite is a magnificent sight, as it daily
covers large tracts of country in search of its food. Offal and carrion
are, or should be, the chief diet of this species, but in this country
it chiefly subsists on small mammals and birds, becoming, at the nesting
time, very bold and taking toll from the poultry-yard and game coverts.
The Kite was formerly common throughout England and by no means rare in
Scotland, but for many years past it has been restricted to certain
places, in almost all of which it is now extinct. It is only a very
occasional wanderer to Ireland.
The nest is placed in a tall tree and composed of sticks, with a lining
of any rubbish that can be found. The eggs, three in number, often only
two, are pale blue, spotted and streaked with reddish.
The adult is brown on the back and chestnut below, with darker stripes.
Tail rufous and much forked. Head and neck whitish, with darker stripes.
Length 25 in.; wing 20 in.
THE BLACK KITE
Milvus migrans (Boddaert)
This species, although a regular summer visitor to the valley of the
Rhine and Moselle, has only once found its way to our shores. Its home
is throughout Central and Southern Europe, migrating southwards from the
more northerly portions of its range in winter.
The head and throat are whitish, streaked with dark brown; rest of the
plumage brown, more rufous on the breast. The female is rather darker on
the head. Length 24 in.; wing 18 in.
THE HONEY BUZZARD
Pernis apivorus (Linnæus)
This migratory species, which is widely distributed throughout most of
the wooded districts of Europe, visits us annually on both its spring
and autumn migrations, and a few pairs generally attempt to nest in
suitable localities. The greed of the egg-collector has sadly diminished
the number of these summer residents, though with adequate protection
moderate numbers might again be induced to spend the summer months in
these islands.
The adult has the head greyish; upper parts brown; under parts white,
barred and spotted on the breast. Length about 23 in.; wing 17 in.
THE GREENLAND FALCON
Falco candicans, J. F. Gmelin
This species breeds in the Far North, in Greenland, Jan Mayen, and
Novaya Zemlya, migrating southwards in winter. A good many examples have
from time to time been taken in Great Britain, chiefly, as would be
expected, in Scotland and Ireland.
The adult is white, streaked on the upper parts with black, and
sometimes slightly spotted below. Young birds are much more heavily
marked. Length 21 in.; wing 14·5 in. The female is slightly larger.
This Falcon may be distinguished in all ages by the prevailing ground
colour being white.
THE ICELAND FALCON
Falco islandus, J. F. Gmelin
This species is confined to Iceland, though very closely allied forms
may be found in South Greenland and Labrador. Its visits to these
islands have not been nearly so numerous as those of the former species.
The general colour of the upper parts is brownish grey, becoming greyer
with age, with pale buff markings. Under parts whitish, the flanks
barred with dark brown. Length of male 21 in.; wing 14·5 in.; the female
is rather larger.
THE GYR FALCON
Falco gyrfalco, Linnæus
Two examples of this Scandinavian and North Russian species have been
obtained in England.
It is very closely allied to the Iceland Falcon, but the head is darker
and the under parts are very thickly barred. Length 19·5 in.; wing 14
in.
THE PEREGRINE
Falco peregrinus, Tunstall
This noble species, the king of Falcons, is still, we are glad to say,
by no means uncommon round our coasts, though as a breeding bird it has
been banished from most of its inland eyries. To those who still keep up
the ancient sport of hawking, an amusement, which to our minds comes
nearer true sport than any of its latter-day substitutes, the Peregrine
is the favourite bird, and a grand sight it is to see this beautiful
species "ring up" above his prey and "stoop" at him with half-closed
wings and unerring aim, when pursuer and pursued come down to ground,
the former to earn the reward of his prowess and the latter to a happy
despatch.
[Illustration: PEREGRINE
_Falco peregrinus_
Adult (left). Young (right)]
Agricultural conditions have had much to do with the decline of this
sport, an amusement which lacks the one-sidedness of a Pheasant or
Partridge drive, and one in which the forces of nature are matched
together.
The Peregrine, as its name implies, is a bird of passage, and visits on
migration most parts of our islands. In the nesting season at the end of
March or early in April it returns to its former eyrie, generally on
some overhung ledge of a cliff on which there is a little earth, or more
rarely in the old deserted nest of Rook or Crow. It adds no materials
but lays its four beautiful yellowish eggs, which are thickly marked
with deeper shades of orange and rufous, on the bare ground, or in the
nest just as it was found. The young are covered at first with whitish
down. Its food, which is always taken on the wing, consists of birds of
all kinds, up to the size of a Crow, but Ducks, Sea-fowl, and Pigeons
constitute, as a rule, its chief prey.
The young remain near their home for some time, till they are finally
driven away by their parents, but the old birds, having once settled on
a home, do not as a rule wander very far away from it. In its more
northerly breeding haunts, however, both old and young migrate on the
approach of winter.
The male, usually known in hawking parlance as the "tiercel," is much
smaller than his mate, and has the upper parts slate grey; the under
parts buffish white, barred with black. The crown and cheeks are also
black. The female is browner and more thickly barred on the under parts.
The young have buff margins to the feathers of the back and are striped
instead of being barred below. Length of male 15 in.; wing 12·5 in. The
female is larger.
THE HOBBY
Falco subbuteo, Linnæus
This species is very like a small Peregrine and comes to us yearly to
rear its young. Although occurring throughout our islands, it is very
local, being commonest in our southern and eastern counties. It very
seldom nests north of Yorkshire, where it becomes rare. In the west of
England and in Ireland it is almost unknown.
In flight and habits it closely resembles the Peregrine, its food
consisting chiefly of small birds and insects.
An old Crow's or Magpie's nest is appropriated, and the eggs, usually
three in number, closely resemble those of the Kestrel but are slightly
smaller. Old and young leave us again in September.
The sexes are alike, and very dark slate grey on the back; chin white;
under parts buffish, striped with black; thighs and vent red. Length
about 13 in.; wing 10·5 in.
THE MERLIN
Falco æsalon, Tunstall
On moorlands and cliffs by the sea-shore, the Merlin is tolerably
abundant from Wales northwards, but in the south of England it is rarely
seen. The nest is a mere "scrape" among the heather, or when near the
sea-coast a former Crow's nest on a cliff is frequently appropriated,
and it has been known to lay its eggs in old nests on trees. The eggs
are very like those of the Hobby and Kestrel, from which they can with
difficulty be distinguished.
The Merlin preys almost entirely on small birds; its flight is very
swift and powerful and it is very bold, attacking birds as large as
itself. Larks and Thrushes are its favourite prey, and on the sea-shore
it is very fond of Dunlins and other kinds of Sandpipers.
Resident with us throughout the year, it nevertheless wanders about a
good deal during the winter and becomes generally distributed, but the
adults for the most part remain near their breeding haunts.
The adult male is slate grey on the back, throat white, under parts
buffish, striped with dark brown. Length 11 in.; wing 7·8 in.
The female is browner above and with pale under parts. She is also
rather larger than the male. The young resemble the female but they are
more rufous in tint.
THE RED-FOOTED FALCON
Falco vespertinus, Linnæus
This species is commonest in Eastern Europe, and is gradually extending
its range northwards; it migrates to Africa in winter. Some thirty
examples have at long intervals occurred in this country, chiefly in the
east and south.
The adult male has the head, throat, breast, and upper parts very dark
lead grey; thighs and vent chestnut. The female has the head and nape
chestnut; upper parts slate grey, with darker bars; under parts pale
chestnut. Length 11·5 in.; wing 9·7 in.
KESTREL
Falco tinnunculus, Linnæus
The Kestrel, or as it is sometimes called, "the Windhover," is one of
the most graceful and harmless of our small Hawks. Year in, year out, he
is with us, and his beautiful flight may be observed throughout these
islands. He may be seen on any fine day high up in the air, remaining
apparently motionless, but ever and anon keeping his position by a few
rapid and quivering wing-beats, he will then turn slowly sideways and,
revealing as he does so a red back and dark quills, he will describe a
wide curve and again hang motionless in the wind. He is at last
beginning to be recognised as one of the farmer's most useful friends,
and as a perfectly harmless adjunct to the Pheasant covert, and thus he
is yearly becoming more abundant. He feeds entirely on mice and small
rodents, and only occasionally on small birds such as Larks.
[Illustration: KESTREL
_Falco tinnunculus_
Male (below). Female (above)]
Towards the end of April the Kestrel repairs with his mate to his former
abode or to some convenient spot near by. He does not build a nest for
himself, but occupies the deserted home of a Crow or Magpie, a hole in a
tree, if possible one which is open at the top, or the ledge of the
cliff near the sea-shore. There, with little or no addition of material,
the six eggs, of a beautiful rich red colour, are laid, but occasionally
they have a paler ground colour and are blotched with deep red.
In about three weeks the young are hatched, and, as in the case of all
birds of prey, are thickly covered with pale greyish down. At first
their parents on bringing the food tear it up for them and allow the
young to peck it from their beaks, but as they grow and their appetite
increases (for their voracity at this age is enormous), the food is
merely brought to the nest and the young tear it to pieces and eat it
without further aid. Like several other birds, the Kestrel at such a
time does not hunt in the immediate vicinity of his nest, and, except
that he may occasionally be seen flying over, he is seldom "at home" to
reveal the presence of his young. At the age of five or six weeks the
young leave the nest; at first they do not fly much but remain perched
near the nest and are still carefully watched and tended by the parents,
while they gradually learn to catch and capture their own food.
At this time the family is always to be found near the nest, and that
locality having been to a certain extent untouched, there is presumably
abundant food for the young birds without their having to wander far
afield. In this manner the summer passes, and as the days draw in and
food becomes scarcer, the old birds become weary of their offspring and
may frequently be seen fighting and driving them away. The young birds
then take the hint, and leave the old folks at home, to wander forth all
over the country and earn their living; many come down to the shore and
emigrate, while others wander about till they find a suitable hunting
ground in which to pass the winter.
With the advent of spring they have in their turn to seek a permanent
home; perhaps they will meet with an older bird who has lost his mate
during the winter and has a home ready, or perhaps they will
inadvertently try to settle near an old eyrie and be driven away, but
eventually a place will be found, and the inhabitants of a new district
will be delighted, if they have eyes for Nature, by the charming ways
and flight of their new visitors.
The adult male on the upper parts is of a deep chestnut, spotted or
barred with black; under parts pale buff, striped with black. The head
and nape are bluish grey, as is also the tail, which has a broad
subterminal black band and is tipped with white. The female is more
barred on the back and has the head brown, striped with darker. The tail
is rufous, barred with black and slightly tinged with grey. The young
resemble the female. Length 14 in.; wing 9·5 in.
THE LESSER KESTREL
Falco cenchris, Naumann
Very few examples of this small Hawk have been taken in this country. It
is a summer visitor to Southern Europe, but towards the east it breeds
in higher latitudes.
It may be distinguished from the Common Kestrel by its smaller size and
white claws. Length 12·26 in.; wing 9·2 in.
THE OSPREY
Pandion haliaëtus (Linnæus)
This species may occasionally be seen on our shallow bays and estuaries
or on inland lakes during the autumn migration, but its large size and
conspicuous flight soon call forth a gunner and it is either shot or
frightened away. It was never common in England, but in the eighteenth
century it used to nest in a few localities. Nowadays only one or two
eyries are known in the British Isles, and these are situated in remote
parts of the Highlands of Scotland and zealously protected. Its food
consists entirely of surface-swimming fish, on which it plunges from a
considerable height.
The male has the head white, streaked with brown, rest of the upper
parts brown; under parts white slightly spotted with brown on the
breast. Legs greenish blue.
The female is rather larger and more spotted on the breast. The young
have buff margins to the feathers of the back. Length 22 in.; wing 19
in.
THE CORMORANT
Phalacrocorax carbo (Linnæus)
With the Cormorant we come to quite another order of birds in which the
feet, including the hind toe, are completely webbed. Their food consists
entirely of fish, which they obtain by diving and of which they consume
an immense quantity.
The Cormorant is abundant round all our shores and nests in colonies on
rocky cliffs.
Its breeding places are very numerous and may be said to occur pretty
generally wherever suitable localities are to be found. The nest is an
untidy accumulation of seaweed, and the eggs, usually five in number,
are pale blue in colour, but are thickly covered with a white chalky
encrustation.
The young are blind at first and covered with blackish down. They feed
on half-digested food, which they procure by inserting their head and
neck into the parents' crop. It is rather a sedentary bird, spending
much of its time on rocks just above high-water mark; in diving it moves
almost entirely by means of its feet, the wings being kept closely
folded to its side. When searching for food it places its head under
water, and on sighting a fish dives under with scarcely a ripple; on
being captured the victim is brought to the surface and swallowed head
first, and the search for another is recommenced. Having satisfied his
hunger he mounts a rock and stands there erect, drying himself in the
wind with outstretched wings, for in spite of their diving habits the
feathers of these birds have very little power of resisting water, and
after a prolonged immersion become quite saturated. It flies well and
strongly with the head and neck outstretched in front and looks not
unlike a Duck. In some places it nests inland near large lakes, and in
such localities the nest is placed on trees.
The adult is of a deep glossy greenish black, which becomes more bronze
in tint on the mantle. Many of the feathers on the head and neck are
white, and there is a white patch on the thighs which is assumed during
the winter and lost in May. The young are brownish and lack the gloss of
the old birds; the under parts are whitish. They become adult in about
three years. Length 36 in.; wing 14 in.
[Illustration: SHAG
_Phalacrocorax graculus_
Adult in breeding dress. Young on sea]
THE SHAG
Phalacrocorax graculus, Linnæus
The Shag is widely distributed round our coasts, especially those rocky
portions abounding in caves, on the ledges of which it breeds. It is a
smaller and more local species than the last, and is never found
breeding inland and rarely in colonies. In all other ways it is a
counterpart of its larger congener, with which it is often confounded by
local fishermen.
During the breeding season it is rather noisy, the note being a harsh
"kraik, kraik."
The adult is of a uniform glossy bronze green and wears for a short time
in spring an upright and forwardly-directed crest. The young resemble
those of the Cormorant except in size, but the tail has only twelve,
instead of fourteen tail feathers, and this forms an unmistakable
character at all ages. The absence of the pale gular pouch will also
enable this species to be recognised when on the wing. Length 27 in.;
wing 10·75 in.
THE GANNET
Sula bassana (Linnæus)
The Gannet is a local species, nesting in enormous numbers on certain
rocks which have formed their home for centuries. These colonies are
pretty well distributed round our coasts, especially in Scotland and
Ireland, but in England, the Farn Islands on the east, and Grassholm in
Wales, are their only strongholds, a former colony on Lundy Island being
nearly, if not quite, exterminated. The Bass Rock, one of the largest
and best known of these colonies, is, in summer, a sight never to be
forgotten; the whole of the face of the cliff appearing entirely white,
from the closely packed sitting birds, who at this season are very tame
and allow themselves to be stroked while incubating.
The nest is a loose accumulation of seaweed and other materials picked
up along the shore. A single egg only is laid, which, except in size,
resembles that of the Cormorant. The young when first hatched are black
and naked, but soon assume a thick covering of white down; they remain
in the nest a long time, not leaving it until they are fully fledged.
A party of Gannets fishing is a beautiful sight; they are not divers
like the Cormorant but feed on surface-swimming fish, and in winter
often follow the shoals of herring and mackerel. Having marked his fish
from high up in the air, the Gannet folds his wings and drops on it
perpendicularly, striking the water with great force. When not at its
breeding haunts it keeps more out at sea than its rock-loving congeners
and is very seldom seen sitting on the shore.
The adult is pure creamy white, buff on the crown and nape, and with
black primaries. In their first year the young are brown all over, each
feather having a small triangular white spot at the tip. The adult
plumage is not assumed until the fifth or sixth year, the plumage during
youth being various intermediate stages. Length 34 in.; wing 19 in.
THE COMMON HERON
Ardea cinerea, Linnæus
Owing to its shy, retiring, and wary habits, this bird is still fairly
common with us. It spends the late summer and winter in marshes by the
sides of sluggish rivers and ditches, patiently waiting for some unwary
fish to come within striking distance of its formidable bill. Frogs,
snakes, rats, and mice are also equally relished, and it is by no means
dainty or particular as to its food.
In former days it was strictly protected and used as quarry for hawking,
in which chase the Hawk would often receive serious wounds from the
deadly dagger-shaped beak.
The Heron nests in colonies on high trees, the nest being built of
sticks, lined with small twigs, moss, and wool. Five eggs of a uniform
greenish blue form the clutch, and the young, which are extremely
helpless when first hatched, are carefully fed by their parents on
predigested food. The flight of this species appears slow and lumbering.
The legs are carried stretched out behind and the head and neck closely
folded in to the body. When disturbed or alarmed they utter a harsh
"frank, frank." Although usually nesting inland, they may often be found
by the sea-shore in autumn and winter, especially during hard weather
when their inland haunts are frozen over.
The adult is bluish grey on the upper parts; the head and neck are white
with the exception of the crest, which is bluish black, as well as a row
of dark longitudinal markings on either side of the neck. Under parts
greyish white. Shoulders bluish black. The young resemble their parents
but are browner and lack the long filamentous plumes on the back and
base of the neck. The adult plumage is assumed by degrees, not reaching
its full beauty till in the fourth or fifth year. Length 34 in.; wing 19
in.
THE PURPLE HERON
Ardea purpurea, Linnæus
The Purple Heron inhabits marshes in South and Central Europe, building
a nest low down in the reeds, its nearest nesting place to us being in
Holland. A good many examples, mostly immature, have occurred along our
east coasts. On the back the adult is dark slate grey with rufous and
buff dorsal plumes. Neck reddish, with dark elongated stripe down either
side. Under parts rich maroon red. Immature birds are rusty red on the
neck and upper parts, brownish on the under parts. Length 33 in.; wing
14·25 in.
THE GREAT WHITE HERON
Ardea alba, Linnæus
Very few examples of this large species have occurred in Great Britain.
It breeds on the Danube and thence eastwards in South Russia. The
plumage is pure white, legs and feet black. This species has become much
scarcer owing to persecution for its plumes, known as "ospreys." Length
33 in.; wing 17 in.
THE LITTLE EGRET
Ardea garzetta, Linnæus
This species breeds in Europe in the countries bordering the
Mediterranean. It has only occurred in these islands on two or three
occasions. Plumage pure white. Length 21 in,; wing 11·25 in.
THE BUFF-BACKED HERON
Ardea bubulcus, Audouin
A scarce species in Southern Europe, but breeding in the marismas of
Spain. It is often found perched on the backs of cattle. Only known in
England from one example shot in 1805. Plumage white, except the crown,
nape, and back, which are saffron yellow. Length 20 in.; wing 9·5 in.
THE SQUACCO HERON
Ardea ralloides, Scopoli
The Squacco Heron breeds in suitable localities throughout Central and
Southern Europe, and has visited this country on a good many occasions,
generally during the spring immigration. Head, neck, and back pale buff,
the crown and nape streaked with dark lines. Sides and front of the neck
buff; under parts white. Length 20 in.; wing 9 in.
THE NIGHT HERON
Nycticorax griseus (Linnæus)
This species has frequently occurred on our south and east coasts at
irregular intervals, and on one occasion eight adult birds were
destroyed during the breeding season, when they might possibly have
nested. It breeds chiefly in Southern and South-eastern Europe, but a
few pairs still nest in Holland and Northern Germany.
The crown, nape, and back of the adult are greenish black; the neck,
tail, and wing coverts drab; the under parts greyish white. Length 23
in.; wing 12 in.
THE LITTLE BITTERN
Ardetta minuta (Linnæus)
This species is abundant in summer throughout Central and Southern
Europe, migrating to Africa for the winter months. To Northern Europe it
is only a scarce straggler, but in the United Kingdom it has been
obtained fairly frequently, especially in our eastern and southern
counties, and there is little doubt that it has on more than one
occasion stayed to breed. It inhabits thick reed-beds, and when
disturbed either creeps away with great speed through the vegetation or
remains motionless with head erect, in which position it closely
resembles the reeds.
The male has the crown, nape, back, quills, and tail greenish black, the
rest of the plumage buff, paler on the wing coverts. The female has the
crown, nape, and back brown, and the under parts buff, streaked with
brown. The young resemble the female. Length 13 in.; wing 6 in.
THE COMMON BITTERN
Botaurus stellaris (Linnæus)
Owing to drainage and cultivation, the Bittern, which used formerly to
breed in various swamps and reed-beds, especially in our eastern
counties, is now only known as a migrant. It still occurs yearly on our
shores, and if unmolested it is probable that it would once more nest
with us.
The nest is a heap of reeds placed on the marsh in the thickest part of
a reed-bed. The eggs are usually four in number and of a uniform
brownish olive colour. In the breeding season it utters a loud "booming"
noise, but at other times it is a very silent bird.
The adult is buff, irregularly barred and streaked all over with black,
except on the head, which is pure black. Sexes and young are alike in
plumage. Length 28 in.; wing 13 in.
THE AMERICAN BITTERN
Botaurus lentiginosus (Montagu)
This bird was, curiously enough, first described from a specimen killed
in Dorset. It is a purely American species but a good many examples have
been taken in all parts of the United Kingdom. It may be distinguished
from the preceding species by its smaller size, darker coloration, and
uniformly brown primaries. Length 24 in.; wing 11 in.
THE WHITE STORK
Ciconia alba, Bechstein
It is curious that a bird so common and well protected on the Continent
should not be of more general occurrence in these islands. It can only
be considered a rare straggler, most of the examples having been seen in
spring.
[Illustration: BITTERN
_Botaurus stellaris_]
The whole plumage is white, except the quills, which are black. Legs and
bill crimson. Length 40 in.; wing 23 in.
THE BLACK STORK
Ciconia nigra (Linnæus)
Some fourteen examples in all of this fine bird have been procured in
England. It breeds in Sweden, Denmark and East Germany and thence
eastwards in Central and Southern Russia. Like the White Stork, it is a
migrant, wintering in Africa.
The whole of the plumage is black, with metallic reflections, except the
lower breast and vent, which are white. Length 38 in.; wing 21 in.
THE GLOSSY IBIS
Plegadis falcinellus (Linnæus)
In the southern and eastern parts of England this species used to be
well known as an autumn migrant, but of late years it has become
decidedly scarcer. It breeds commonly in the marismas of Spain and the
marshes of the Danube.
The head, neck, and under parts are a deep coppery brown; back, wings,
and tail glossy brownish black. The bill is long and shaped like that of
a Curlew. The sexes and young are alike in plumage. Length 22 in.; wing
10·75 in.
THE SPOONBILL
Platalea leucorodia, Linnæus
This species used formerly to breed in several localities in England,
but these have long been deserted. It, however, still occurs on
migration, and a few annually visit the Norfolk Broads in spring, where,
as they are now strictly protected, it is to be hoped that they may once
again be induced to nest. It still nests in Holland, but in other
districts where it used to occur it seems to have died out as a breeding
species, and is now restricted to more southern localities, such as the
south of Spain, the Danube, and the Black Sea.
The whole of the plumage is white; gular pouch orange; bill black, with
yellow tip; legs black. The sexes are alike in plumage. The young may be
distinguished by the black ends to the quill feathers and the
flesh-coloured bill. The adult plumage is not fully assumed till in the
second or third year. Length 36 in.; bill 8·5 in.; wing 14·5 in.
THE FLAMINGO
Phoenicopterus roseus, Pallas
This curious and well-known bird is only a very rare straggler to our
shores. It breeds in the Camargue district at the mouth of the Rhone as
well as in Spain, but its main breeding grounds are in Africa. It nests
in colonies, the nests being conical structures, formed of mud, built
near the edge of the water. It is now definitely ascertained that it
sits with its long legs doubled up, and not straddle-legged as was
stated by early travellers. The food consists of minute crustacea and
other insects.
The adult is of a pale rose pink all over, darker on the wing coverts.
The quills are black. Legs pink; bill rosy, with black tip. The young
are of a pale mottled brown. Length about 5 ft.; wing 15 in.
THE GREY LAG GOOSE
Anser cinereus, Meyer
Although about a century ago this bird used to nest in the fens of
Cambridge and Lincolnshire, it has long since ceased to do so, and the
only places where it may still be found breeding in these islands are in
the north of Scotland and in the Outer Hebrides. In winter it occurs on
our coasts in company with other species of Geese, but it is by no means
common, and the majority pass on to the south, reappearing on their way
north in spring. The food consists chiefly of grass and other green
food, which it seeks on salt marshes near the sea by day, retiring to
the shore to rest at night. It is the only Goose that breeds in our
islands. The nest is begun in the middle of April and consists merely of
a "scrape" amongst the grass or heather which is lined, as incubation
proceeds, with down plucked from the body of the female. The eggs are
usually six in number and dull yellowish white in colour.
As soon as the female begins to sit the males gather together in small
flocks and take no further interest in their mates. Geese are strong
fliers, and, being very wary birds, extremely difficult to approach. In
flight they usually assume a wedge-shaped formation known as a "skein."
The note is a harsh "gaggle, gaggle," like that of our domestic Goose,
which is supposed to have originated from this species.
There is some doubt as to the origin of the name Grey Lag, but it is now
generally conceded to have been applied to this species because it
lagged behind after the other Geese had gone to their breeding quarters
in the north.
The adult is greyish brown on the upper parts and breast, the rest of
the under parts being whitish grey with a few black feathers. The young
are rather darker and lack the black feathers underneath. Length 34 in.;
wing 17 in.
THE WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
Anser albifrons (Scopoli)
This Goose, whose chief breeding grounds are in Siberia, though it also
nests across the whole of Northern Europe, visits us in fair numbers
every winter, but it is more abundant in the south and south-west than
on the east coast, and is everywhere very local in its distribution.
It very closely resembles the Grey Lag Goose, but there is more white on
the forehead; the bill is orange yellow with white nail, and the legs
orange. Length 27 in.; wing 16 in.
THE BEAN GOOSE
Anser segetum (J. F. Gmelin)
This species nests throughout Northern Europe and Asia. It is common on
our coasts in winter, and is in fact the most abundant of our wild
Geese. In Scotland, however, it is not so numerous as the preceding
species.
This bird feeds inland on grain and vegetation.
The bill is black, with an orange band across the centre and a _black_
nail; the amount of orange on the bill varies, however, in individuals,
and several forms have been differentiated, though the matter requires
further confirmation before being finally accepted. The amount of orange
in the bill may also vary, in some cases, during the life of a single
individual. Legs orange yellow. There is no bluish grey on the shoulder
of the wing, as in the Grey Lag and Pink-footed. Length 34 in.; wing 19
in.
THE PINK-FOOTED GOOSE
Anser brachyrhynchus, Baillon
On the east of England and Scotland this species is very plentiful
during the winter, but in the south of England and on our west coasts it
is comparatively rare, and its occurrence in Ireland is not yet
authenticated. It breeds in Northern Europe and is apparently the only
"Grey Goose" breeding on Spitzbergen.
The bill is black, with pink across the centre and a black nail. Legs
pink. This pink colour has sometimes a yellowish tinge and so cannot be
accepted as a definite character on which to diagnose this species. The
wing, however, in the Pink-footed Goose is blue grey, approaching that
of the Grey Lag, and this, together with its smaller size, will
distinguish it from the preceding species. Length 28 in.; wing 17·5 in.
THE SNOW GOOSE
Chen hyperboreus (Pallas)
This is a North American species, breeding in Arctic Regions and
wandering south in winter. It has occurred several times in Ireland, and
small flocks were seen in Cumberland, Northumberland, and Yorkshire
during the severe winter of 1890-91.
The adult is pure white, with black quills. The young is brownish grey
on the back, lighter on the under parts. Length about 30 in.; wing 17
in.
THE RED-BREASTED GOOSE
Bernicla ruficollis (Pallas)
Only one or two examples of this rare Goose have been obtained in this
country. It breeds in Eastern Siberia, whence it migrates southwards
past the Ural and Caspian Seas.
The general colour above is black; the ear patches, throat, and breast
chestnut; lores and belly white; chin black. Length 21 in.; wing 14·5
in.
THE BERNACLE GOOSE
Bernicla leucopsis (Bechstein)
Nesting abundantly in Greenland and in some numbers on Spitzbergen, the
Bernacle Goose is by no means uncommon in winter along the west coast of
the United Kingdom as far south as Lancaster, as well as on the north
coast of Ireland. Elsewhere in these islands it is decidedly rare. It
feeds on grass pastures near the sea, almost invariably by night.
This species is commonly kept in captivity, where it breeds freely.
The crown of the head, neck, and upper breast are black; mantle grey,
barred with black and white; forehead, cheeks, and chin white. Under
parts greyish. Tail coverts pure white. Length 27 in.; wing 16 in.
THE BRENT GOOSE
Bernicla brenta (Pallas)
This species is one of the most abundant of our Geese, and is found in
enormous flocks round our coasts throughout the whole winter. It breeds
along the west coast of Greenland and also on the islands and northern
coasts of Russia and Siberia. It feeds chiefly by day, and is fond of
wading about in mud-flats or in shallow water feeding on aquatic
vegetation.
The whole plumage is chiefly black, except the tail coverts, which are
white, and a white patch on each side of the neck. Length 22 in.; wing
13 in.
THE WHOOPER SWAN
Cygnus musicus, Bechstein
Formerly breeding in small numbers in the Orkneys, this species now only
visits us during the winter, its numbers depending largely on the
severity of the climate in Northern Europe. It frequents bays,
estuaries, and inland lakes, feeding on weeds and aquatic vegetation.
The note is a loud "whoop, whoop, whoop," from which its trivial name
has been derived, and is often uttered as they fly along the shore in a
long straggling line. The sexes are alike in plumage, as are all
palæarctic Swans, and this species may be distinguished by the colour of
the bill, which is black at the tip and yellow at the base, the yellow
extending forward beyond the openings of the black nostrils. The base of
the bill is flat and quadrangular and not knobbed as in the Mute Swan.
Length 60 in.; wing 25·5 in.
BEWICK'S SWAN
Cygnus bewicki, Yarrell
This species, which is smaller than the Whooper, visits us regularly
every winter, and is in some places the commoner of the wild Swans. In
Scotland it is abundant in some seasons as it is also in Ireland, but on
the coasts of England and Wales it is always rather scarce. It breeds in
the Far North to the east of the White Sea.
It may be distinguished from the Whooper by its smaller size and the
extent of the yellow on the beak, which does not quite reach the
nostrils. Length about 46 in.; wing about 21 in.
THE MUTE SWAN
Cygnus olor (J. F. Gmelin)
In this country the Mute Swan is only met with in a state of
semi-domestication, having been introduced at some early period of
history. It is now, however, widely distributed throughout our islands.
Inhabiting lakes, rivers, and ornamental waters, it feeds on aquatic
weeds and grain, and is extremely useful in preventing an undue growth
of weeds in ornamental ponds and lakes. The nest is a huge structure of
straw and rushes, built upon the edge of the water, or in the centre of
a reed-bed. The eggs, which vary in number from five to nine or ten, are
of a uniform pale green, and are hatched after some five weeks'
incubation.
The young, which are covered at first with greyish down, are carefully
tended by both parents, and when tired nestle on their parents' back. In
olden times the right to keep Swans on the Thames was granted by the
King to many of the City Companies, and in the autumn of each year (a
custom which is still continued) the young Swans are caught up and
marked on the bill with the private mark of the Company to whom they
belong. This is known as "Swan upping." The male is known as the "Cob"
and the female as the "Pen," and the rules and regulations clearly state
how the brood shall be awarded in the event of the Cob and Pen belonging
to different Companies, while the landowner on whose ground they nest
also comes in for a share.
At the nest the male Swan is very savage, attacking any intruder with
his bill and with savage beats of his powerful wings; his mate, however,
is very quiet and will allow herself to be pushed off the nest with no
stronger protestation than a subdued "hiss."
This Swan is not mute as its name implies, but has a loud trumpet-like
note, to which, however, it seldom gives utterance.
In a purely wild state, this species may be found breeding in Denmark
and the south of Sweden, and it is a common breeding species in
South-eastern Europe. From its northern breeding haunts it migrates in
winter, many probably coming over to our shores.
The plumage is pure white; the bill reddish orange with a black knob at
its base. This knob is much larger than in the male. The young are
greyish drab. The so-called "Polish Swan" is a variety of this species,
in which the young are white. Length about 56 in.; wing 27 in.
THE COMMON SHELD-DUCK
Tadorna cornata (S. G. Gmelin)
Although somewhat local in its breeding haunts, this species is fairly
abundant round all our coasts in winter. It is a Sea-Duck, being seldom
found far inland, and its food consists of small mollusca and marine
insects, which it seeks on our flat estuaries and along the shore.
A rabbit-burrow in sand-dunes near the sea is chosen for a nesting-site,
and lined with a little grass, to which is subsequently added an
abundance of grey down from the body of the female. Occasionally it
makes its own burrow, or other sites such as crevices between boulders
or under furze bushes are selected. The eggs, generally ten in number,
are creamy white. As soon as they are hatched the mother leads her brood
to the shore, where they feed, making for the sea on the first sign of
danger.
During the pairing season this bird is very noisy, the male uttering a
short whistle, while both sexes run round each other with out-stretched
neck, making a curious guttural chuckle.
In winter large flocks of these birds visit us from the Continent. These
flocks may be seen resting out at sea by day and come in to feed on the
soft ooze by night; they are of course more partial to flat and sandy
parts of the coast, but may nevertheless often be found in small sandy
bays on an otherwise rocky shore.
The head and neck are glossy bluish black; the scapulars and primaries
black. There is a broad band of bright chestnut across the back and
breast, and a black stripe along the centre of the under parts. Speculum
green. The rest of the plumage is pure white. Legs flesh pink; bill
crimson. The sexes are alike, but the female is smaller and duller. The
male has a crimson knob at the base of his bill which swells up
considerably during the breeding season.
The young bird lacks the chestnut band, the head and neck are dull
brownish black, the scapulars greyish brown, and in its first autumn it
assumes a plumage similar to the adult female, but duller. Length 25
in.; wing 13 in. Both sexes assume in July a much duller plumage,
somewhat resembling that of the young in their first winter.
THE RUDDY SHELD-DUCK
Tadorna casarca (Linnæus)
The Ruddy Sheld-Duck is a South-eastern European species, breeding on
the shores of the Levant and throughout Northern Africa, but it is rare
on the north shores of the Mediterranean west of the Adriatic. It has
several times been noted as a straggler to England, and in 1892 many
flocks appeared in different parts of the country.
[Illustration: SHELD-DUCK
_Tadorna cornuta_]
The general colour is a deep orange brown, the head being rather
lighter. The male has a narrow black collar during the nesting season.
The female is much paler on the head, the forehead, lores, and a ring
round the eye being nearly white. Length 25 in.; wing 14·5 in.
THE MALLARD OR WILD DUCK
Anas boschas, Linnæus