FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!

This is for the Birds Trivia Quiz

Here's a look at some well-known common birds in North America. See if you know some things about them.

A multiple-choice quiz by ssabreman. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
ssabreman

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
287,623

Updated
Jun 01 22

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
907

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Which sparrow was introduced from Europe but is now the most common sparrow, seen in the widest range in North America? Hint

House sparrow

American tree sparrow

Field sparrow

Song sparrow

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. The "caw" of the wild is made by this very common, large bird whose scientific name is Corvus brachyrhynchos. Hint

American crow

Northwestern crow

Common raven

Rusty blackbird

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. The purple martin is included in which bird grouping? Hint

thrushes

swallows

warblers

larks

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. Canada geese can be seen all over North America, south of the treeline. To where do they migrate in the winter? Hint

east and west coasts and the southern states

west coast and southern states

east coast and southern states

southern states only

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. The European starling is another bird that was originally brought from Europe. How can it be distinguished from the common (Rusty or Brewer's) blackbirds? Hint

a yellow bill

smaller in size

a shorter tail

all of these

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. Which of these "baseball team" birds is the smallest? Hint

Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles

Toronto Blue Jays

Baltimore Orioles

St. Louis Cardinals

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. What is the correct name for the common domestic pigeon, or Columba livia? Hint

City dove

Pigeon

Rock dove

Park pigeon

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. Which of these is correct regarding the great horned owl? Hint

it usually hunts in the daylight hours

it is smaller than most other owls

it has small horns at the side of the head

its range is the entire NA continent, south of the treeline

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. What is the correct name for the common gulls that you see everywhere from farmer's fields to garbage dumps and the beach? Hint

Herring gull

Scavenger gull

Sea gull

Harbour gull

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. What is the usual diet of the American robin? Hint

fruits and berries

caterpillars and grasshoppers

insects and earthworms

all of these

(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

Select a User ID:

Choose a Password:

Your Email:

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Which sparrow was introduced from Europe but is now the most common sparrow, seen in the widest range in North America?

Answer: House sparrow

The house sparrows are descendants from birds which were brought from Britain in the 1800's to act as a pest control. This was a mistake that was realized too late, after they were widespread and well established. By the 1880's, THEY were considered to be the pests. This is an example of the "introduction of an exotic" which turned into a disaster.

2. The "caw" of the wild is made by this very common, large bird whose scientific name is Corvus brachyrhynchos.

Answer: American crow

Smaller than the raven, the American crow is still one of the larger birds. Its range is most of the North American continent south of the treeline.

3. The purple martin is included in which bird grouping?

Answer: swallows

Larger than any of the other swallows, the purple martin is the only one which is dark all over. It likes to make its home in multi-celled nesting boxes.

4. Canada geese can be seen all over North America, south of the treeline. To where do they migrate in the winter?

Answer: east and west coasts and the southern states

Their southern migratory travel takes them to the entire coastal area of the USA from Washington to Maine, and Nova Scotia. The entire USA/Mexico border area is also shown in the guide as a winter haven.

5. The European starling is another bird that was originally brought from Europe. How can it be distinguished from the common (Rusty or Brewer's) blackbirds?

Answer: all of these

Eugene Schieffelin was a member of the Acclimation Society of North America who supposedly was trying to introduce every bird species that Shakespeare mentioned in his works. There are now about 200 million starlings in North America which are all descendants of the 60-100 birds Schieffelin released in 1890 in Central Park, New York.
Another example of the "introduction of an exotic" which turned into a disaster.

6. Which of these "baseball team" birds is the smallest?

Answer: Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore oriole is slightly smaller than the cardinal by about an inch in length. The blue jay is significantly larger than both, by about 2-3 inches.

The Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, the largest bird here, play in the Pacific Division in the Japanese league.

7. What is the correct name for the common domestic pigeon, or Columba livia?

Answer: Rock dove

The rock dove is the one you will see in farmyards and city parks. They are another bird that was introduced to the continent whose numbers grew out of control. Park pigeon and city dove are just fictitious names.

8. Which of these is correct regarding the great horned owl?

Answer: its range is the entire NA continent, south of the treeline

The great horned owl is one of the largest owls. Its "horns" are erect ear tufts of feathers. Like other owls, it is a nocturnal hunter, usually starting at dusk. Its call is 4-7 low hoots.

9. What is the correct name for the common gulls that you see everywhere from farmer's fields to garbage dumps and the beach?

Answer: Herring gull

We often just call them sea gulls but the correct name is herring gull. There are over twenty types of gulls listed in the guides but this one is the most common, seen across the continent. There is no bird in the field guides known simply as the sea gull. The other two names are made up.

10. What is the usual diet of the American robin?

Answer: all of these

Often seen on lawns looking for insects and earthworms, it also feeds on other invertebrates. During the winter, it eats more fruit and berries.
The robin is an early sign of spring in Canada and migrates to the USA in the winter but its summer range is as far north as the treeline.

Source: Author ssabreman

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor crisw before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.