British Wildlife 2- Swallows or Swallowtails? Quiz

Answer: Marsh fritillary

The marsh fritillary is an uncommon butterfly. It has specific habitat requirements and is only found in parts of southern Britain.
Marsh harriers are birds of prey which were once on the verge of extinction in Britain. Their numbers have improved greatly thanks to impressive work by several conservation bodies.
Marsh warblers are extremely scarce summer visitors to Britain. They nest in small numbers in Worcestershire.
Marsh tits are fairly common small birds. They are very similar in colouration to willow tits and the two are often difficult to tell apart.

Answer: Meadow pipit

Meadow pipits are common birds of open countryside and high moorland. They can be confused with tree pipits but their song and behaviour is diagnostic.
Wood whites are the least common of the British whites and are found mostly in woodland clearings.
Despite its name, the marbled white is actually in the 'brown' family. It is a fairly common grassland butterfly in southern England but gets progressively rarer and more local further north.
Meadow brown butterflies are brown and live in meadows! They are usually in flight in June and July.

Answer: Grayling

The grayling butterfly likes to live in areas of rough grassland, particularly on hillsides. It can be quite common around coasts but is much scarcer inland.
Redpoll are small members of the finch family. They sometimes join mixed finch flocks in winter, especially with siskins.
Blackcap and redstart are both thought of as summer visitors to Britain, but the numbers of blackcap over-wintering are increasing.

Answer: Golden oriole

Golden orioles are rare birds in Britain (the other three are butterflies). They live mostly in the south-east. If you visited areas where they live you would be very fortunate to see one. They are secretive and tend to stay hidden in the tops of trees.

Purple emperor butterflies are also rarely seen as they stay high in oakwood canopies. Orange tip butterflies are common along hedgerows and meadows in springtime. Only the male has the orange tips to its wings. Red admirals (they are also butterflies) are frequently seen in gardens and parkland feeding on nectar-giving shrubs and plants.

Answer: Brimstone

Brimstones are fairly large yellow butterflies. They prefer edges of woodland environments. Brimstone is often the first butterfly to emerge after winter hibernation, sometimes flying in early March.

Turnstone and lapwing are both waders. Turnstone are usually found on stony coastlines, lapwing are often seen inland around lakes and on farmland.
Hoopoes are a Mediterranean species but a few turn up in Britain most years.

Answer: Yellowhammer

The yellowhammer's song is usually written as, "a little bit of bread and no cheese!". Numbers of this brightly coloured bird have declined in recent years.
Clouded yellow is a migrant species usually found in the southern half of Britain.
Brown argus is a species found mainly in hilly regions.
Green hairstreak is the least scarce of British hairstreaks but nowhere is it common.

Answer: Small copper

No, not a small policeman, but the only butterfly of the copper family found in Britain. It is a common butterfly of open grasslands and loves to feed on nectar from flowers.
Little grebes are water birds found in ponds, lakes and rivers. Sometimes called dabchicks, they dive to catch small fish and other aquatic creatures.
Spotted crake is a rare and secretive visitor to Britain. It belongs to the same family as the more familiar moorhen and coot.
Little auks are sea birds found mostly off the Scottish coast. They are related to puffins and guillemots.

Answer: Waxwing

Waxwings are winter visitors to Britain. Most years they are few in number but occasionally there is an irruption due to food shortages in mainland Europe.
Commas are common butterflies and will frequently visit gardens to enjoy nectar-giving flowers. The name comes from the comma shaped marks on their underwings.
Gatekeepers are a common sight in July and August amongst bramble bushes and other low vegetation. They love to sun themselves on walls, fences and gates, hence the name.
Ringlets are dark brown butterflies with small 'eye' rings to confuse predators. They are common in damp pasturelands in southern Britain.

Answer: Large skipper

The skippers are an unusual family of butterflies as they share some moth characteristics. Many species such as the Essex skipper and the Lulworth skipper are rare and very localised in distribution but the large skipper is a common grassland species.
Great skuas or bonxies are large coastal birds. They are mostly found in the north of Scotland where they rob other seabirds of their catch.
Great spotted woodpeckers are fairly common and will come into gardens to feed on nuts and and suet etc.
Great grey shrikes are winter visitors to Britain usually found on heathland and other open spaces.

Answer: Ring ouzel

Ring ouzels belong to the thrush family. They are summer visitors to mountainous regions of Britain, preferring to live around rocky outcrops.
Small tortoiseshell is a common species frequently found in gardens.
There are several species of blue butterfly in Britain, some of which are very rare. Holly blue is quite a common species with an unusual life cycle. There are two broods in a year, the first batches of eggs are laid on holly but the second batches are laid on ivy.
Speckled wood is a common species of butterfly around edges of woodlands and hedgerows.