Why Do Birds Suddenly Appear? Trivia Quiz

Answer: House Sparrow

House sparrows usually live on cultivated land near houses and parks. They are very sociable birds and often feed in large flocks. They are widespread throughout most of Britain. The house sparrows in my garden particularly enjoy eating peanuts from the bird feeders.

Answer: Magpie

Magpies are widespread throughout Britain and their population has increased considerably in urban areas. They are a member of the crow family, Corvidae. They are predatory birds and will often take eggs and baby birds from other species' nests. They are very intelligent birds and have a reputation for being attracted to bright shiny objects such as aluminium foil.

Answer: Blue Tit

Blue tits are regular visitors to my garden and enjoy feeding on peanuts and sunflower seeds from the bird table. They are very acrobatic and are often seen hanging upside down while feeding from the bird feeder. My neighbour has often had them nesting in her nesting boxes.

Answer: Greenfinch

Greenfinches are chunky looking finches with a large head and a heavy looking conical beak. Originally they were rarely found in urban areas, preferring woodland and farmland, but with the increase of urbanisation they ventured into towns to visit gardens where food was plentiful and easy to access. Now they are frequent visitors to gardens and parks.

Answer: Starling

Starlings are widespread throughout Britain and are only missing from the highest areas. They are very sociable birds and tend to feed and roost communally. A flock of starlings in the air is called a murmuration and they can be an impressive sight when thousands of birds swirl in the sky. It is thought they do this to deter predators.

Answer: Wren

The wren has the scientific name Troglodytes troglodytes (a very long name for such a small bird!), which translates as cave dweller. It is not, as sometimes thought, Britain's smallest bird as the goldcrest is smaller. According to Greek legend the wren became king of the birds.

It achieved this by hiding itself in the feathers of the eagle and managing to fly higher than the eagle. In Britain it was traditional to hunt wrens on 26th December (the feast day of Saint Stephen) and parade the bodies around the town.

In some areas this tradition continues but a fake bird is used instead of the real thing.

Answer: Robin

The scientific name for the robin is Erithacus rubecula and it is found throughout Britain. The robin was officially declared Britain's National Bird on December 15th 1960. They are very territorial and have been known to fight to the death protecting their territory.

Historically robins became associated with Christmas because Victorian postmen wore red uniforms and were known as "Robin Redbreasts".

Answer: Chaffinch

Chaffinches can be found all year round across the UK in gardens, parks and woodlands. The males have the brighter colours with the females being much duller, although they both have distinctive wing bars. The Latin name, Fringilla coelebs, comes from the fact that often they are found in all male flocks (coelebs is the Latin for bachelor).

This led to them often being given the old country name of bachelor birds.

Answer: Mistle Thrush

The mistle thrush is Britain's largest song bird. Its scientific name, Turdus viscivorus, translates as "devourer of mistletoe" and a British folklore belief is that mistletoe can only germinate once it has passed through a thrush's system. In reality although they do eat mistletoe berries they seem to prefer the berries of the holly and hawthorn bushes.

Answer: Blackbird

The blackbird (scientific name Turdus merula) is a member of the thrush family. The males of the species are all black whereas the females have a brown body and a rusty-red breast. They are very adaptable birds and are widespread in gardens, parks and woodland.

They have a very recognisable song and are known to sing after rain. They like to eat a variety of earthworms, insects and berries and are often seen running across the garden, picking them up from the ground, before running back to find cover.