Fractured British Birds Trivia Quiz

Answer: Tawny owl

Tawny owl (Strix aluco) is the most widespread of Britain's native owl species (little owl is an introduced species), it is found in woodland, open farmland, and parkland, even in cities. The famous "Tu whit, tu whooo" call is in fact made by a pair of owls calling to each other; the female calls the first part and the male answers her.

Answer: House martin

House martins (Delichon urbica) are common summer visitors to Britain, usually arriving in April and May. They are related to swallows.
Famous musician Fatboy Slim (Norman Cook) first found success playing bass with British band The Housemartins.

Answer: Herring Gull

Herring gulls (Larus argentatus) are familiar birds around the coast of Britain. They do venture inland and sometimes are seen in large flocks, often with other gull species such as black-headed gull and lesser black-backed gull.

Answer: Carrion crow

Carrion crows (Corvus corone corone) are large conspicuous birds found throughout most of Britain. Most people refer to them as just 'crows'; however in northern parts there is a handsome sub-species called hooded crow (C.c. cornix) which has a largely grey body. Where their ranges overlap the two subspecies will interbreed quite readily so intermediate specimans are quite often seen.

Answer: Mistle thrush

The first time I was ever attacked by a bird it was by a mistle thrush (Turdus iliacus)! They are great parents and I had inadvertantly wandered too close to their nest. Mistle thrushes are the largest thrushes commonly seen in Britain and are very confident birds, strutting around fields and large gardens.

Their habit of singing both during and after rainfall has given them the nickname of 'stormcock'.

Answer: Arctic tern

Arctic terns (Sterna paradisaea) make some of the longest migrations of any bird species. They nest in the high Arctic but migrate to the far southern parts of the world, some even reaching Antarctica. In Britain they are seen on passage.

Answer: Golden eagle

In Britain, golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) are chiefly confined to Scotland. They are large birds of prey with a wingspan of some two metres.

Answer: Oystercatcher

Oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus) are large waders. Their black and white plumage, long pinky orange legs and long orange bill all combine to make them very conspicuous. They are found all around the British coasts, particularly alongside estuaries, they are sometimes seen inland but rarely in great numbers.

Answer: Canada goose

Canada goose (Branta canadensis) is now a very common bird in Britain, it can be found in most watery habitats from the coast to city-centre parks. As its name suggests it is originally a North American species. It was originally imported into Britain for wildfowl collections but some individuals escaped and have flourished in the wild.

Answer: Lesser spotted woodpecker

Lesser spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos minor) is by far the smallest of the three British woodpeckers; it is about the size of a sparrow. The best time to see them is in springtime before the leaves come on the trees and they perform their display flights. Later in the year they can be very difficult to spot as they tend to stay high in the canopy, hidden by the leaves.