Fright or Flight Trivia Quiz

Answer: Tweety

The peregrine falcon is not Kes (clue 4) or Donald (clue 5). From clue 5 we also know that its handler can't be Orville (because their name cannot be last alphabetically) and it therefore can't be Bucephalus (clue 2). That just leaves Tweety.

The 'Looney Tunes' and 'Merrie Melodies' cartoon canary, Tweety, is famous for his numerous escapes from the machinations of Sylvester the cat and his distinctively spoken catchphrase "I tawt I taw a puddy tat!". It's easy to see how a member of the fastest species in the world (peregrine falcons can reach speeds of over 200 mph while diving down to catch their prey) might object to being named after that particular character.

Answer: Charles

The name of Donald's handler comes alphabetically before both the one who lost his glove and the one showing the peregrine falcon (clue 5), so can't be Douglas or Orville. From clue 6 we know it isn't Amelia, so it must be Charles.

Although you wouldn't refer to a bird's handler as their 'pilot', the name Charles is significant in the history of aviation as Charles Lindbergh became the first pilot to fly nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927. His 33.5 hour journey in the single seat aircraft 'The Spirit of St. Louis' took him from Long Island, New York to Paris, France. His feat won him the Orteig Prize, a Medal of Honor and lasting fame.

Answer: Douglas

From clue 1 we know it was Tweety who flew away, so clue 2 rules out Orville as his handler. From question 2 we know Charles was Donald's handler and clue 6 rules out Amelia. Therefore the handler in question must be Douglas.

Sir Douglas Bader was a British fighter pilot during the Second World War who took part in the Battle of Britain before being shot down over France. He spent four years as a prisoner of war and made several escape attempts before being sent to the 'escape proof' Colditz Castle. His achievements are particularly notable given that he had lost both legs in a plane crash in the 1930s.

Answer: Kes

Neither Donald nor Tweety can have been the culprit (clues 6 and 1 respectively). From clue 2 we know that Bucephalus belonged to Orville, so Kes must have been the over-enthusiastic bird that pecked Amelia.

Kes the kestrel was a character in the 1969 film 'Kes' directed by Ken Loach and based on Barry Hines' novel 'A Kestrel for a Knave'. The film told the story of a disillusioned young boy from a poor mining community who developed a strong relationship with a young kestrel. Unfortunately the poor kestrel met a tragic end when the boy's father killed him in retribution for his son failing to place a bet on what turned out to be a winning horse.

Answer: Orville

The gloveless handler was not Amelia or Charles as their name could not be one of the first two alphabetically (clue 5). The answer to question 3 rules out Douglas so it must have been Orville who was left to hunt for his glove while nursing a sore arm.

Orville and Wilbur Wright (the famed Wright Brothers) were American inventors credited with making the first controlled, powered and sustained flight in an aeroplane on 17 December 1903. They are also (somewhat controversially) credited with the invention of the first successful aeroplane - although there are many competing claimants for that crown. Orville, the younger of the two brothers, went on to serve on the board of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), the predecessor of NASA whose 1969 spaceflight to put a man on the moon couldn't be further removed from Orville Wright's first flight which lasted just 12 seconds.

Answer: Red kite

Bucephalus isn't a kestrel (clue 4) or a peregrine falcon (question 1). From clue 2 we know that Bucephalus was handled by Orville, who lost his glove (question 5). Since the sparrowhawk was the bird that suffered an injury during the display, that means Bucephalus must be the red kite.

Bucephalus is legendary in history, being a large black horse with a white star who was Alexander the Great's battle horse for many years. Bucephalus's final fate isn't clear but it is possible that he was killed at the Battle of the Hydaspes. Alexander, the King of Macedonia, Persia and Asia and Pharaoh of Egypt died in 323 BC - so it isn't terribly surprising that a precise record of the life of his horse has not survived the intervening 2000 years or so.

Answer: Sparrowhawk

From question 2 we know that Charles's bird was called Donald. Donald can't be the kestrel (clue 4) or the peregrine falcon (clue 5). From clue 2 and question 6 we know that Orville handled the red kite which just leaves the sparrowhawk for Charles.

Sparrowhawks are small birds of prey which would certainly come off worse in a fight against a much larger eagle. They are widespread across Europe and parts of Asia and mainly attack smaller birds such as blackbirds, pigeons, finches and (perhaps unsurprisingly) sparrows. In falconry, sparrowhawks historically tended to be used by members of the clergy (by comparison emperors tended to use eagles and vultures) or by noble ladies, due to them being smaller and therefore lighter birds.

Answer: A handler losing their glove

The red kite wasn't injured (clue 3), didn't peck its handler (question 4 and clue 4) and didn't fly away (question 1 and clue 1). It therefore must have been the bird that landed on its handler's suddenly gloveless arm.

Red kites are beautiful birds that are instantly identifiable in the air by their forked tail, chestnut red feathers and white patches on the underside of their wings. They are found across much of Europe and parts of northern Africa, although in some of these countries the birds have had to be reintroduced following local extinctions in the 19th and 20th centuries. Red kites mainly tend to feed on carrion but will also prey on (a slightly odd combination of) small mammals and worms.

Answer: Donald

From clue 3 we know that it was the sparrowhawk that was attacked by the eagle, from question 7 the sparrowhawk was handled by Charles, and question 2 tells us that Charles was Donald's handler. So the answer must be Donald.

Donald was named after probably the most famous cartoon bird in the world - Walt Disney's Donald Duck. This Donald however bears very little resemblance to a duck, which is lucky since ducks definitely feature on an eagle's dinner menu. In particular, the bald eagle (the national bird of the USA) is known for preying on water birds such as herons, gulls, geese and ducks.

Answer: Douglas

From clue 5 the peregrine falcon's handler must be Charles or Douglas as their name cannot be first or last alphabetically. From question 7 we know that Charles handled the sparrowhawk so Douglas must have been holding the peregrine falcon.

The Quizzical Bird of Prey Centre seems to conform to a bit of a theme when it comes to employing their handlers. The final handler to be mentioned (an incorrect option in this case) is Amelia, who shares her name with Amelia Earhart, the famous American aviator. Earhart, who became the first woman to make a solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1932, tragically disappeared while attempting to fly around the world in 1937.

Falconry, hunting using trained birds of prey, is one of the oldest recorded sports. In China records mentioning falconry date back to the 7th century BC and it was certainly widespread in Europe by medieval times.

The full solution was:
Amelia - Kes - Kestrel - Bird pecked handler
Charles - Donald - Sparrowhawk - Bird suffered injury
Douglas - Tweety - Peregrine falcon - Bird flew away
Orville - Bucephalus - Red kite - Handler lost glove