Concise Garden Wildlife Guide Read online

  European Adder

  Viper berus

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 55–90cm. Colour variable, ranging from light with small and incomplete dark dorsal cross-bars, to entirely dark in melanistic individuals. Head usually with a distinctive V or X on the back. Dark streak from eye to neck continues as a series of spots along the flanks. Female usually brownish with dark brown markings, male pure grey with black markings.

  HABITAT

  Includes chalky downs, moors, rocky hillsides, meadows, rough commons, hedgerows, dumps and large gardens, in much of Europe.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Timid, biting only when cornered or alarmed – may hiss loudly to warn off aggressors. Bites not highly dangerous to humans. Feeds mainly on small mammals and reptiles. Young, numbering 3–20, born August–September. Hibernates in winter. Lifespan 10–15 years.

  Typical European Adder prey includes mice and newts

  Common Pheasant

  Phasianus colchicus

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 75–90cm (m); 53–64cm (f). Male has a long, barred golden tail, a green head and red wattles. Some males have a white ring around the neck. Female has a shorter tail and is buffish-brown.

  VOICE

  A loud, hoarse metallic call, ‘koo-krock’, usually followed by a whirring wingbeat.

  HABITAT

  Woodlands, farmland with hedges, big gardens and reed beds in much of Europe. Introduced to Greece from Asia 2,000 years ago and has spread across much of Europe.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Feeds on seeds, fruits, nuts and roots. Male has more than one mate. Nest a grassy cup on the ground.

  Grey Heron

  Ardea cinerea

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 95cm. Very large and mainly grey bird, with black-and-white markings. Breeding plumage includes long black plumes on the head, a white neck and a yellow bill. Neck is tucked back in flight; wingbeats are slow and ponderous.

  VOICE

  Flight call a hoarse croaking ‘kraark’ and ‘chraa’; bill-clapping at the nest.

  HABITAT

  Year round in marshes, ponds, lakes, rivers, canals, flooded fields and estuaries throughout Europe except far north. Enters gardens, especially early in the morning, in search of fish.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Feeds on fish, amphibians, small mammals, insects and reptiles. Hunts by stalking slowly through shallow water, or standing motionless waiting for prey to come within reach, when it strikes with lightning speed. Nests in colonies, usually high in tall trees, in huge nest.

  Collared Dove

  Streptopelia decaocto

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 31–33cm. Slimmer than other pigeons. Back brown-buff, head and underparts pinkish-brown. Black ring around the neck.

  VOICE

  Rapidly repeated ‘koo-koo, koo’ call.

  HABITAT

  Towns, gardens and farmland with hedges. Has spread across Europe from Asia.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Feeds on seeds and grain, and is a frequent bird-table visitor. Large flocks assemble at grain stores. Nest a platform of twigs on a tree branch. Up to five broods a year.

  Woodpigeon

  Columba palumbus

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 40–42cm. Adults have white rings around the neck, and a white bar across each wing. Wings make a clattering sound on take-off and landing.

  VOICE

  Soft and often repeated ‘coo-coo-coo-cu-coo’.

  HABITAT

  Woodland, farmland, parks and gardens. Found throughout Europe except far north.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Eats seeds, berries and beechmast. Feeds in flocks in winter. Nest a raft of twigs on a branch. Three broods or more a year.

  Feral Pigeon

  Columba livia

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 31–33cm. Black wing-bars and a white rump. Colours vary from white to very dark grey, and some individuals may be pale fawn.

  VOICE

  Soft cooing.

  HABITAT

  Sea cliffs, cities, towns and villages.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Feeds on seeds, grain and discarded human food. Breeds throughout the year, but mainly in spring, with 2–3 broods a year.

  House Martin

  Delichon urbica

  Length 12.5cm. Stubby appearance. Rump white; wings, head and tail dark blue. Voice a harsh twitter that is higher and more drawn-out when agitated. Song a series of formless chirps. Breeds in colonies in towns and villages, and sometimes on cliffs. Arrives in Europe March–April; leaves September–October. Rarely seen on the ground, except when collecting mud for nest-building. Builds a hemispherical nest under eaves with a small entrance hole.

  Swift

  Apus apus

  Length 17cm. Long and narrow crescent-shaped wings, torpedo-shaped body and short forked tail. Very short legs. Dark brown plumage with a pale throat. Voice a shrill monotone scream, often uttered by tight flocks flying around buildings. Breeds in towns and villages. Summer visitor to northern Europe, usually May–August. Catches insects in flight. Spends most of its life on the wing. Nests in a hole in a building.

  Swallow

  Hirundo rustica

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 17–22cm, including tail 3–6.5cm. Wings long and pointed; tail deeply forked. Pale cream underparts, dark blue wings and back, and red throat with a blue-black neck band.

  VOICE

  Call in flight a high-pitched ‘vit-vit’. Song a rapid rattling twitter.

  HABITAT

  Breeds in farmyards and small-village gardens with surrounding open country. Often near water. Summer visitor, arriving late March–April, and leaving September–October.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Feeds on insects, which it catches in flight. Nests in outbuildings and porches, on rafters or shelves. Cup nest built from small pieces of mud, lined with grass or straw.

  Great Spotted Woodpecker

  Dendrocopos major

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 23–26cm. Blackbird-sized black-and-white bird. White shoulder patches and red under the tail. Male has a red patch on his nape; female’s nape is black. Juvenile has a red crown. Flight is undulating.

  VOICE

  Short sharp ‘tchak’ call, which may be repeated at 1-second intervals. In spring drums very fast on rotten branches.

  HABITAT

  All kinds of woodland, large gardens and parks.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Feeds on insects and grubs, and conifer seeds in winter. Visits garden feeders. Also steals eggs and young from other birds’ nests. Nests in holes excavated in tree trunks.

  Wren

  Troglodytes troglodytes

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 9–10cm. Tiny brown bird with a short upright tail. Faintly barred reddish-brown back and paler flanks. Narrow dark eye-stripe with a paler stripe above the eye. Bill narrow, pointed and slightly downwards-curving.

  VOICE

  Calls a repeated ‘tic-tic’ and metallic ‘clink’. Song a loud series of trills and warbles.

  HABITAT

  Woodland with dense undergrowth, scrub, heathland, gardens, parks and moorland.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Searches for insects and spiders on or near the ground, moving in a rather mouse-like fashion. Male builds several nests in his territory. Female selects one, which is then lined with feathers. Nest domed and well camouflaged.

  Dunnock

  Prunella modularis

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 13–15cm. Streaking and brown colour give the Dunnock a rather sparrow-like appearance. Thin insect-picking bill, grey throat and face, and reddish-brown legs.

  VOICE

  Alarm call a strong ‘tiih’. Song clear and quite loud.

  HABITAT

  Gardens, parks, open woodland, heathland, farmland hed
ges and young forestry plantations. Resident in most of Europe.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  An unobtrusive bird that searches on the ground for seeds, berries, insects and other invertebrates. Nest built of grass, lined with hair and moss.

  Blackbird

  Turdus merula

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 23.5–29cm. Male is all-black with a yellow bill and yellow eye-ring. Female and juveniles are sooty-brown with a dark-streaked pale throat.

  VOICE

  Alarm call a harsh ‘chack-aack-aack-aack’; also a series of high metallic notes when going to roost or when a cat is seen. Rich melodic fluting song, often rising to a crescendo.

  HABITAT

  Woodland, parks, orchards and gardens across Europe.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Takes a wide range of food, including insects, worms, fruits and berries. Hops or walks over the ground, stopping and cocking its head to look for worms or other food. Nest made of grasses, with a mud cup lined with finer grasses.

  Mistle Thrush

  Turdus viscivorus

  Length 22–27cm. Upright and comparatively longer tail than Song Thrush’s. White breast speckled with rounded blotchy spots. Upright posture on the ground. Flight call a dry churring rattle. Song full-blooded, but similar to Song Thrush’s. Breeds in open woodland, orchards, and parks and gardens with trees. Moves into fields and parkland to feed in winter. Eats worms, berries and insects. Nest is built in a tree fork.

  Song Thrush

  Turdus philomelos

  Length 20–22cm. Brown back and speckled creamy breast (speckles shaped like arrowheads). Loud strong song with trilling and squeaky notes; few pauses and frequent repetitions. Alarm call a series of sharp scolding notes. Contact call in flight a fine sharp ‘zit’. Found in woodland, parks and gardens. Feeds on worms, insects, berries and snails, the shells of which it smashes on hard ground or rocks. Builds a neat cup-nest of grasses and fine twigs, lined with mud.

  Redwing

  Turdus iliacus

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 21cm. Similar size to Song Thrush, but with visibly larger head. White stripe above the eye and a black-tipped yellow bill give it a striking appearance. Red patch under the wing is conspicuous in flight, which is fast and direct.

  VOICE

  Thin ‘tseep’ contact call on migration. Alarm call hoarse and scolding. Song variable, with loud fluted notes and prolonged twitters.

  HABITAT

  Fields, open woodland, parks and gardens. Summer visitor to northern Europe, wintering in southern and western Europe, where it feeds in hedges, moving to open fields and gardens as hedgerow food runs out.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Feeds on worms, insects and berries. In gardens attracted to berry-bearing shrubs (above) such as cotoneaster and pyracantha. Nest a grassy cup in a shrub or tree.

  Fieldfare

  Turdus pilaris

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 26cm. Smaller than Mistle Thrush, but looks stockier. Grey head, red-brown back and apricot base to the speckled breast. Longish tail, pale grey rump and white underwings show in flight. Rather flapping flight.

  VOICE

  Call a harsh ‘chack-chack-chack’. Song a tuneless and chattering babble.

  HABITAT

  Open forest, town parks, fields and gardens. Winter visitor or migrant to much of Europe; year-round in north-central areas; summer only in far north. In Britain breeds rarely in Scotland.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Feeds on worms, insects, berries and fruits. Fond of windfall fruits (below) in gardens and orchards during hard weather. Nest a grassy cup in a fork of a tree.

  Goldcrest

  Regulus regulus

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 8.5–9.5cm. Greenish back and yellow crest that becomes orange in male. Crest has a black stripe on each side. Face greyish with dark eyes surrounded by very pale grey.

  VOICE

  Very high-pitched thin call of 3–4 syllables, ‘see-see-see’. Song high-pitched and rhythmic, ending with a trill or flourish.

  HABITAT

  Coniferous mixed woodland with spruce and fir preferred. In gardens often seen in Yews and cypress trees.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Feeds on tiny insects and spiders on the undersides of leaves and branches. Nest a cup of feathers and moss built high in a tree, often near a branch tip.

  Robin

  Erithacus rubecula

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 12.5–14cm. Orange-red breast is fringed with pale grey, and orange covers the face. Underparts pale; back brown. Pale wing-bar. Adopts a perky stance.

  VOICE

  Call a short hard repeated ‘tic’. Alarm call a thin sharp ‘tsiih’. Song sweet, starting high, followed by a fall, then speeding up in clear squeaky notes.

  HABITAT

  Woodland bird that breeds in gardens, parks and forest edges across Europe.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Feeds on berries and insects on the ground. In winter will search for food in molehills, animal tracks in snow and where soil is being turned over by gardeners. Builds a cup nest in a tree stump, on a branch, among ivy or in an open-fronted nestbox.

  Spotted Flycatcher

  Muscicapa striata

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 13.5–15cm. Greyish-brown back and pale underparts. Streaked forehead and faintly streaked upper breast. Eyes, bill and legs are black. Perches in an upright posture.

  VOICE

  Call a short shrill ‘tzee’. Song quiet, simple and scratchy, often with soft trills.

  HABITAT

  Open woodland, parks and gardens. Summer visitor to Britain end April–September.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Snatches insects in flight, then returns to the same perch. Builds a cup nest between a branch and tree trunk, among espaliered trees against a wall or in an open-fronted nestbox.

  Long-tailed Tit

  Aegithalos caudatus

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 12–14cm, including tail that is at least as long as its dumpy body. Unmistakable pink, black and white body, and dark tail.

  VOICE

  Piercing, trisyllabic continuous call, ‘zee-zee-zee’.

  HABITAT

  Woods with bushy undergrowth, hedges and gardens.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Feeds mainly on insects and small spiders, and increasingly visits bird tables. Families form into flocks and move through woods and hedges, often with other tits. Constructs an attractive dome-shaped nest of moss and feathers.

  Great Tit

  Parus major

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 14 cm. Black cap and black stripe starting at the bill. Male’s breast-stripe becomes broader than female’s.

  VOICE

  Rich and varied repertoire includes a metallic ‘pink’ and ‘teacher-teacher’.

  HABITAT

  Woodland and gardens across Europe except far north.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Feeds on seeds and fruits, and spiders and insect larvae in breeding season. Builds a cup nest in a tree hole.

  SIMILAR SPECIES

  Coal Tit (Periparus ater). 11.5cm long. Smaller than Great Tit. Black head, white cheeks and white patch on nape. British birds have an olive hue to the back plumage, while continental birds have a blue-grey back; Irish birds have pale sulphur-yellow cheeks, breast and belly. Most frequent call a triple ‘tsee-tsee-tsee’. Song like a weaker Great Tit’s song. Inhabits woodland and gardens across Europe except far north. Prefers coniferous trees. Eats insects and seeds. Nests in holes in trees.

  Blue Tit

  Cyanistes caeruleus

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 11–12cm. Smaller than Great Tit (opposite) and with a bright blue crown. Stripe down yellow breast is less well defined. Tail and wings blue.

  VOICE

  Clear and high-pitched ringing song, and t
hin ‘see-see’ call.

  HABITAT

  Mixed and deciduous woodland, parks and gardens. Found throughout Europe except far north.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Feeds on insects, spiders and other small animals, finding them on tree branches and sometimes in the corners of windows. Often visits bird tables in winter. Builds a cup nest in a hole in a tree or in a nestbox.

  Nuthatch

  Sitta europaea

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 14cm. Distinctive appearance, with a large head, no neck, short tail and heavy pointed bill. Back and head slate-grey with a long black eyestripe. Cheeks white, and breast and underparts rusty orange (white below except for red vent in northern European birds). Flight similar to woodpecker’s, but tail is rounded.

  VOICE

  A loud, strident ‘hwitt’ call. Song a repetitive ‘peeu-peeu-peeu’.

  HABITAT

  Mixed deciduous woods, parks and gardens with mature oaks, from western Russia across Europe; absent from Ireland and Scotland.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Feeds on nuts, seeds and invertebrates, using its bill to winkle insects out of bark crevices. Nests in a cavity, usually in a tree, with the entrance plastered with mud to provide the correct size. Often descends tree trunks head-first.

  Magpie

  Pica pica

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 40–51cm, including 20–30cm tail. Wings metallic blue-black, and round-tipped tail has a metallic green sheen. Male larger and tends to have a longer tail than female.