Birds Seen on English Rivers and Lakes Quiz

Answer: Tundra Swan

As the name implies, tundra swans (also sometimes called Bewick's swan) breed in the Arctic and sub-Arctic tundra, mostly in the coastal lowlands of Siberia. Those breeding in western Russia leave for their winter sojourn in Scandinavia and Britain in September, staying until mid-spring.

Tundra swans can often be seen in fields, feeding on grains and potatoes left over after the harvest season, or in lakes, often with their heads underwater searching for aquatic vegetation.

Answer: Bean goose

The bean goose is a migratory bird that breeds in northern Europe and Asia. Their presence is often given away by a distinctive loud, honking call. Their name derives from a habit of grazing in recently-harvested bean fields. They are most often seen in East Anglia and further north in Dumfries in Scotland, although they have been spotted as far west as Gloucestershire.

They are regularly known to travel in small groups within flocks of grey geese.

Answer: Common shelduck

Common throughout the temperate regions of Eurasia, the common shelduck's scientific name means "pied waterfowl". In size and shape, the shelduck looks like a short-necked goose. Like many species of geese, the shelduck is also a honker.
Commonly found on Britain's lakes and rivers, they prefer open country during the breeding season, where they use deserted rabbit burrows, haystacks and holes in trees for nesting. Tidal mudflats are a good place to spot them in the winter months.

Answer: Eurasian wigeon

The Eurasian wigeon is the Old World equivalent of the American species of the same name. It is most commonly seen in wet grasslands or marshes with taller vegetation. As a 'dabbling duck', it feeds by grazing on the surface rather than diving. It also nests on the ground, usually near water. A particularly noisy bird, the wigeon will often be found in large flocks.

Answer: Mallard

The male mallard, with his green head and grey wings and belly, is one of the most instantly-recognizable of waterfowl, so I hope you appreciate that I didn't find a photo of a brown speckled female for you. One of the most gregarious of birds, mallards are most often found in wetlands and are happy with both fresh and salt water environments.

They eat a mixture of water plants and small animals including beetles, flies, crustaceans and worms. What's good for the gander, as they say though, means that unfortunately for the mallard, they are also on the menu for many other species: most raptors, weasels, otters, raccoons, some snakes, skunks, turtles and even some large fish are all partial to mallard steak. Even domestic cats and dogs have been known to eat them!

Answer: Garganey

The adult male garganey is hard to miss, with his tell-tale brown head and breast and a wide white crescent over the eye. These are relatively rare in Great Britain, with most heading for the marshlands of East Anglia or County Wexford in southeastern Ireland. Look for them in grasslands near lakes and shallow marshes.
Garganey feed by skimming the surface, with lots of head shaking. The male also has a distinctive crackling call, whilst the female is almost silent. (I make no comment!)

Answer: Smew

The male smew has a 'panda-like' appearance, whereas the female is grey with a chestnut crown and forehead and is sometimes confused with the ruddy duck. Breeding in northern Eurasia, the smew migrates to winter on sheltered lakes and sheltered coasts of Germany, the Low Countries, and can often be seen in southeastern England, particularly in the area around Dungeness in Kent.
A diver, the smew has serrated edges and a hooked tip on its bill to enable it to catch the small fish that make up most of its diet.

Answer: Great northern loon

The great northern loon is also known as the great northern diver in Eurasia and as the common loon in the US. Europeans named the bird "diver" because of his method of catching fish, which is to swim calmly along on the surface and then suddenly plunge down on unsuspecting fish.

The Americans dubbed this bird "loon" due to its clumsiness on land. Like all members of the 'diver' family, this bird feeds exclusively on fish -- he can dive to depths of 200 feet and stay submerged for up to three minutes. Pike, perch, trout, bass, flounder and herring are all on the loon's menu. Loons may be ungainly on land, but they are spectacular fliers, capable of speeds as high as 75 mph. Noisy birds, loons make sounds approximating a yodel, a laugh, a wail and a hoot.

Answer: Grey heron

Common throughout Eurasia, the grey heron does migrate but they can still be seen year-round from the southern Mediterranean coast to inside the Arctic Circle. Grey herons can even be found nesting within cities, and they have been known to take over zoos' water enclosures designed for other species of animal from penguins and pelicans to otters and seals, stealing their food and driving off the inhabitants. Grey herons live on a diet of fish, frogs, insects, small mammals and reptiles and they are also known to predate birds.

Answer: Great crested grebe

The great crested grebe can be spotted around lakes, reservoirs and near to the coast. Their spectacular head and neck decorations make them particularly easy to spot during the summer months. At the end of the breeding season, they can often be seen carrying their fluffy, striped chicks on their backs.

They exist primarily on a diet of fish, but are also known to eat insects and small frogs and crustaceans.