Match the Birdie Trivia Quiz

Answer: Nightingale

The nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) is a migratory bird found in parts of Europe and Asia during the summer and in Africa during the winter.

Florence Nightingale lived from 1820 to 1910; following her work in Crimea, where she was nicknamed the 'Lady with the Lamp', she founded a school for nurses at St. Thomas' Hospital in London.

The song "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" was written in 1939 by Eric Maschwitz and Manning Sherman; it was one of the popular songs of the second World War. Berkeley Square is in Mayfair in London.

Answer: Swift

Different species of swifts are found all over the world; most are migratory, preferring to spend the winter months in warmer climates.

The adjective 'swift' comes from an Old English word 'swifan' meaning 'to move in a course, or sweep'.

Jonathan Swift lived from 1667 to 1745; he became dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin in 1713. "Gulliver's Travels", probably his best known work, was published in 1726.

Answer: Penguin

A penguin is a mainly black and white flightless bird from the southern hemisphere. There are many species ranging from the Emperor Penguin (the largest) at over 1m tall, to the Fairy Penguin (the smallest) which is about 40cm high.

Tux, the penguin, was chosen as the mascot for Linux in 1996 because Linus Torvalds mentioned that he was fond of penguins.

Penguin Books first appeared in 1935, most were orange, but crime fiction was printed in a green cover and blue was used for biographies; they all cost sixpence. In 1937 they began producing non-fiction books called Pelican Books, and in 1940 they introduced Puffin Books for children.

Answer: Swan

There are several species of swan found in many parts of the world. Most have white plumage; the Black Swan, from Australia, and the Black-necked Swan, from South America, are the exceptions.

"The Ugly Duckling" was written by Hans Christian Andersen, a Dane, in 1843. It tells the story of a chick which hatched out of an egg in a nest of ducklings; he was teased for his ungainly appearance; however he grew up to become a beautiful white swan. When asked if he would ever write his autobiography, Hans Christian Andersen replied that he already had - it was "The Ugly Duckling".

The river, known as Derbarl Yerrigan by the local Aboriginal people, was called the Swarte Swaene-Revier, after the Black Swans in the area, by Willem de Vlamingh, a Dutchman, when he was exploring at the end of the seventeenth century. This was later anglicised and shortened to the form used today.

Answer: Duck

Duck is the word used to refer to many species of waterfowl which have short legs and broad bills. Strictly speaking the duck is the female, and the male is called a drake. They can be found in most parts of the world.

As a verb meaning to lower the head to avoid a missile or blow, the word 'duck' comes from the Old English 'duce' referring to a diving bird.

The cricketing term, duck, is short for 'duck's egg' which is what the '0' on the score pad looks like.

Answer: Sparrow

There are many species of sparrow native to Europe, Asia and Africa. They have been introduced to the Americas and Australasia.

Gary Sparrow, played by Nicholas Lyndhurst, is the main character in the BBC series from the 1990s, "Goodnight Sweetheart". He discovers a portal which enables him to travel back to the 1940s; then he starts leading a double life, eventually ending up with a wife in both the present and the past, and trying to juggle his time to keep them both happy.

"Who Killed Cock Robin?" is a traditional English rhyme. The answer to the question is given in the first verse, "'I', said the sparrow, 'with my bow and arrow'". It's not clear if any punishment is given to the sparrow for his crime, but there are detailed preparations made for the funeral in the rest of the rhyme.

Answer: Crow

Crows are large black (or mainly black) birds belonging to the genus Corvus. There are species found all over the world. Crows are very intelligent birds, which have also been known to use tools.

The native Americans now known as the Crow Tribe of Montana originally inhabited the valley of the Yellowstone river, which covers an area from Wyoming to North Dakota.

The Adelaide Football Club were formed in 1991 to play in the newly renamed Australian Football League; originally called the Victorian Football League, the name was changed after clubs from other states had joined in the 1980s. The Adelaide Football Club, nicknamed the Crows, play at the Adelaide Oval beside the River Torrens in the capital city of South Australia.

Answer: Swallow

Swallows can be found all over the world, with the exception of Antarctica. Swallows are part of the same family as martins, although the word 'swallow' is generally used to refer to the birds with long forked tails. Most swallows eat insects, often catching them while flying.

According to the "Concise Oxford English Dictionary" (1999), to swallow is to allow food and drink to pass down the throat or to cause to disappear. The word comes from the Old English word, 'swelgan', which means 'swallow'.

A swallow dive is one when the diver keeps his/her legs straight and together, but spreads his/her arms wide until just before entering the water. Somewhat confusingly, this is known as a swan dive in North America.

Answer: Wren

Several species of wren are found in North and South America. The Eurasian Wren, commonly just called the wren, is found in Europe, Asia and northern Africa. The birds known as wrens in Australasia are unrelated to the wrens in other parts of the world.

Sir Christopher Wren lived from 1632 to 1723; he was responsible for rebuilding many churches after the Great Fire of London in 1666, most notably St. Paul's Cathedral, where the inscription on a plaque in the crypt reads, 'Si monumentum requiris circumspice' or 'if you seek his memorial look around you'.

The Women's Royal Naval Service was founded in 1917, but disbanded again in 1919; it was reformed in 1939 at the beginning of the Second World War, and incorporated as permanent part of the Royal navy at the end of the war. It was the first of the military services to recruit women. The women were used to take over shore duties so that more men were available to go to sea. It was not until the 1990s that women were allowed to serve on seagoing vessels. They gained the nickname. Wrens, from the initials (WRNS) of the service.

Answer: Eagle

Eagle is a name given to many birds of prey, most of which are native to Europe and Asia, although some can be found in the Americas and Australia. The name is taken from the Old French word 'aigle' which comes from the Latin 'aquila'.

The rank of Eagle Scout is the highest achievement attainable in the Boy Scouts of America program. The exact requirements have varied since the introduction of the award in 1911, but it involves earning a number of merit badges, being a good Scout of long standing and carrying out a service project.

A score of one under par in golf is referred to as a 'birdie'; an 'eagle' is a large bird and so better than a 'birdie', therefore it was used for two under par. An eagle is most commonly achieved on a par 5 hole resulting in a score of 3; an eagle on a par 3 hole would be a hole in one.