National Birds from Around the Old World Quiz

Answer: African Fish Eagle

The African fish eagle ('Haliaeetus vocifer') is a member of the 'Haliaeetus' genus that contains numerous species of sea eagle. Males typically have a wingspan of around six feet whilst in the larger females that may be as wide as eight feet.
The species can be found on freshwater lakes, rivers and reservoirs through most of Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Grassland, swamps, marshes and tropical rainforest all provide suitable habitat for the African fish eagle, which feeds by swooping to grab fish from the surface of the water before carrying it back to a perch to eat it.

Answer: Grey Crowned Crane

The grey crowned crane ('Balearica regulorum') is one of many species in the order of 'Gruiformes' , which means "crane-like". Most crane species trumpet, but the grey crowned crane is distinguished by its unmistakable honking call. A sociable bird, flocks of 30 to as many as 150 animals are common. Standing more than three feet tall and weighing in at more than seven pounds, the grey crowned crane has a wingspan in excess of six feet.

They are not fussy eaters -- they take plants and seeds as readily as insects, worms, fish, snakes and eggs. Often clumsy-looking, they are likely to be stamping their feet to flush out insects and other small animals.

Indeed, they are frequently seen within herds of large mammals, where they feed on animals disturbed by antelopes and other grazers.

Answer: Crimson Sunbird

The crimson sunbird ('Aethopyga siparaja') is tiny, only 3-4 inches in length, with a thin, down-curved bill specially adapted to nectar feeding. They are members of the 'Nectariniidae' family of sunbird and spiderhunters.
The sunbirds of southern Asia are distantly related to the hummingbirds of the New World and to the honeyeaters of Australasia.

Answer: Raggiana Bird-of-paradise

The Raggiana bird-of-paradise ('paradisaea raggiana') is named after Marquis Francis Raggi of Genoa. It is a member of the 'Paradisaeidae' family which consists of 41 species of bird-of-paradise, most of which are native to the dense rainforests of the island of New Guinea, eastern Australia and the surrounding islets.
Bird-of-paradise are noted for their elongated and elaborate feathers, extending variously from bill, head, wings or tail, that are used to perform often-spectacular displays to attract a mate. Their plumage is often heavily cropped by natives for their ceremonial headdresses.
As is true of many fruit-eating birds, the Raggiana bird-of-paradise plays a key role in seed dispersal, particularly in this case for various species of nutmeg and mangrove.

Answer: White-throated Dipper

The white-throated dipper is a member of the 'Cinclus' genus which comprises numerous species of dipper. They are named because of their unusual bobbing and dipping movements, rather because they like to 'take a dip', although their ability to dive and swim underwater marks them as unique amongst passerines. The primary diet of the white-throated dipper consists of a range of aquatic creatures, from beetles and insect larvae to worms, mollusks, fish and small crustaceans.

They dive from flight or simply walk into the water and submerge themselves. Once below the surface, they move around by swimming (effectively using their wings to fly underwater). Laws of gravity prevent them walking along the bottom of a river or lake, even though it may sometimes appear to be what they are doing.

Answer: Oriental Turtle Dove

Also sometimes called the rufous turtle dove, the Oriental turtle dove belongs to a family of more than 300 species of doves and pigeons. Its closest relative is the European turtle dove, which has similar markings, but the Oriental is larger and its call is quite different. Whether the Oriental species are ever given in pairs as gifts around Christmas time, though, is unknown.

Answer: White Wagtail

The white wagtail ('Motacilla alba') is a member of the 'Motacillidae' that includes wagtails, longclaws and pipits. Its closest relative is the darker pied wagtail common to Great Britain. Resident throughout much of Eurasia, only birds from near the Arctic migrate south for the winter.
As one might surmise from its name, the white wagtail and its close cousins are easily identifiable by their repetitive tail wagging.
White wagtail nests are often targeted by cuckoos, although this species often recognizes an egg that does not belong. However, they are too small to destroy an egg as large as that produced by a cuckoo so the wagtails do the next best thing and simply abandon parasitised nests.

Answer: Hoopoe

The hoopoe ('Upupa eppops') is named onomatopoeically, that is to say that its name imitates the noise the bird makes. A medium-sized bird with a wingspan or between 17-19 inches, the hoopoe builds its nest in trees, cliffs, and even haystacks and walls if they can find a surface with a suitably-sized cavity. If you are lucky, you will catch one taking a sand or dust bath, which is a something this species does with some frequency. The hoopoe was known to ancient civilizations, and both the Ancient Egyptians and the Minoans considered them sacred.

They can be seen in paintings on rocks and in tombs dating back thousands of years. By contrast, Scandinavian myth designates them as bringers of war, whilst in Estonia they are associated with death and the underworld.

Answer: Eurasian Oystercatcher

Sometimes called the common pied oystercatcher or simply the oystercatcher, the Eurasian oystercatcher ('Haematopus ostralegus') usually builds the flimsiest of nests on pebbled beaches along the coast. This species is unusual within the oystercatcher family, though, in that it also nests on gravel-based islands much further inland.

Originally known as the 'sea pie', it was renamed first in the late 18th century to reflect its preferred diet. Like the cuckoo, oystercatchers are also known to lay their eggs in the nests of other species, notably pigeons, leaving the host bird to raise their chicks.

Answer: Himalayan Bulbul

Although Bahrain is quite some distance from the Himalayas, it has nevertheless adopted the Himalayan bulbul as its official national bird. The species in a member of the 'Pycnonotus' genus, which includes some 50 different species of bulbul.
A relatively small songbird, just 6-7 inches in length, is particularly noted for being friendly to humans. It is attracted not by the range of seeds, nuts and fruits left out by humans 'for the birds' but, instead, by the wide range of insects that are attracted to the 'bird food'.
The Himalayan bulbul builds a small cup-shaped nest on low-hanging branches or in bushes. Easy prey for ground-based predators, you might think, but the parents do not have to defend their nest for long as the chicks fledge and leave the nest with 9-11 days of hatching.