MODULE 1: LEARNING ABOUT BIRDS BIRDS IN NIDDERDALE Nidderdale provides habitats for a wide variety of birds. These are the species most commonly seen. The list is in alphabetical order. Garden and Woodland birds Those marked with * are the ones most likely to come to feeding stations. Blackbird* Male blackbirds are black with bright yellow beaks whereas females have a brown plumage and beak. They are widespread and are found in countryside and gardens. They feed on insects, worms, berries and fruit. Blackcap Summer visitor. Blackcaps are greyish in colour with the males possessing a black cap on their heads and the females a chestnut one. They are found in woodland, parks and gardens with plenty of trees and shrubs. They usually arrive in Britain in March/April and leave in September/October. They eat berries and insects. Blue tit* Blue tits are small birds which have blue upper parts and a yellow underside. They have white cheeks and a blue crown. They prefer broad leaved woodland but are found in parks and gardens also. They eat insects, spiders, seeds, nuts, fruit and grain. They tend to eat insects in summer, food from hedgerows in autumn (hawthorn and elderberries, for example) and seeds in winter. Bullfinch Male bullfinches have a reddish-pink breast and cheeks, a grey back and a black cap and tail. The females are beige rather than pink. They are found in woodland and hedgerows and eat seeds, buds and insects. Amber listed because of falling populations. Buzzard The buzzard is a large bird and the most common day flying bird of prey in Britain. It varies in colour but most are shades of brown. They feed on small mammals, birds and carrion. When gliding, their wings create a shallow V shape. Chaffinch* Male chaffinches have a pinkish-red breast and a slate blue head. The female has yellow-brown plumage. They are very common and found in woodlands, hedgerows, parks and gardens and eat insects and seeds.
Coal Tit Smaller and less colourful than the blue tit, the coal tit has a distinctive grey back, black cap, and white patch at the back of its neck. A regular visitor to most peanut feeders, they will take and store food for eating later. In winter they join flocks with other tits to roam through woodlands and gardens in search of food. Collared dove Collared doves have a buff-pink plumage and a black collar and are elegant looking birds. They are found in towns, villages and farmland and eat seeds and berries. Crow Crows have a black plumage with a purple-green sheen, much greener than the rook. The bill, legs and feet are also black. They are widespread, found almost everywhere and eat worms, carrion, insects, seeds, fruit and scraps. Dunnock* Dunnocks are small, brown and grey birds which are typically quiet. They are found in vegetated areas with plenty of shrubs and brambles and are often seen on the ground or close to cover. They eat insects, spiders, worms and seeds. Fieldfare Winter visitor. The fieldfare is a large thrush with colourful plumage. They have a grey head and rump, a chestnut-brown back, and a yellow-brown speckled chest. Fieldfares feed on insects, worms and berries. They arrive in Britain from October and leave from March. Amber listed. Goldfinch* Goldfinches have a bright red face and yellow wing patches. They are found anywhere with bushes and trees or seeding plants. They have sharp beaks adapted to extract seeds from teasels, dandelions and thistles. Many goldfinches migrate south for the winter. Great tit* Great tits are distinguished from blue tits by their larger size and black caps and a black stripe down its front. They live in woodland, parks, gardens and farmland. Like blue tits they eat insects, spiders, seeds, nuts, fruit and grain. Greenfinch* Greenfinches are large yellow-green finches with yellow edges on their wings and tails. They have a stout bill and pink legs. They can be found in woodland, farmland, parks and gardens where there are plenty of trees and bushes. They eat seeds and insects. House martin A summer visitor. The house martin is a small bird with glossy blue-black upper parts and pure white under parts. It has a distinctive white rump with a forked tail and, on close inspection, white feathers covering its legs and toes. It spends much of its time on the wing collecting insect prey. The bird's mud nest is usually sited below the eaves of buildings. Recent population declines earn them a place on the Amber List.
House sparrow* House sparrows have a streaked brown plumage and pale cheeks, a grey crown and a black bib. They are usually found near human habitation such as parks, gardens, farms and fields and eat mainly seeds and insects. They build their nests inside buildings or other holes. Amber listed because of major reduction in populations. Jackdaw Jackdaws are small crows with a black plumage except for a grey neck. They are found in woods, fields, parks and gardens and eat insects, seeds and scraps. Kestrel Kestrels have long pointed wings and a long tail. They are brown with a cream coloured underside and are covered in black speckles. They have a habit of hovering in flight which makes them easier to identify. They eat mainly small mammals such as voles, but they also eat insects and small birds. They have declined in numbers in recent years as a result of habitat destruction due to intensive farmland management. Amber listed. Magpie Magpies have black and white plumage and a long tail. They are scavengers and omnivores and are found in a range of habitats across Britain. Nuthatch* A small bird with a grey/blue back and pinkish/beige chest and a black head stripe, the nuthatch looks a bit like a small woodpecker. It is often seen on the trunk of trees and is the only bird that can run downwards on a tree. Seen mainly in woodland, it will also come to gardens for food. It lives on insects, nuts and seeds. Owls Britain has five owl species. The three most common species are the barn owl, tawny owl and the little owl. The barn owl is a pale owl with a heart-shaped facial disc and dark eyes. They have a large wingspan and are nocturnal hunters, although they may hunt in the day during winter. The call of the barn owl is like a loud screech or a wailing sound. Barn owls use their acute sense of hearing to locate their prey which includes voles, wood mice and shrews. Barn Owl The tawny owl is the most common owl in Britain and is characterised by its tu-whit, tu-whoo call. It is chestnut brown in colour, streaked with buffs, blacks and whites. It eats small mammals such as field mice, field voles and shrews. Like the barn owl, it is a nocturnal hunter and is more likely to be heard than seen. Tawny Owl
The little owl is small and dumpy in appearance and is a deep greybrown colour speckled with white. They eat small mammals such as mice, voles and shrews and also insects, earthworms, slugs and snails. They have a habit of sitting on top of posts or other suitable perches. They live in open countryside and farmland where there are hedges and other suitable nesting sites. Little owls are not strictly nocturnal and are often active during the day, hunting mainly at dusk and dawn. Little Owl Pheasant* Pheasants were introduced to Britain as game birds. Males are speckled copper and black with a dark green head and red face. Females are speckled with paler brown and black. They feed on insects, seed, grain and plant shoots. Red Kite This large raptor died out in England but was re-introduced successfully in the late 20 th century. It has reddish brown feathers, angled wings and a deeply forked tail. It lives on carrion. Redwing A winter visitor. The redwing is a small thrush with orange-red flank patches. They have brown upperparts and a creamy-yellow stripe above each eye. Redwings feed on insects, worms and berries. They are winter visitors arriving from September and leaving from March. Amber listed Robin* The robin is Britain s national bird. They are small birds with a red breast and face and are found in woodland, hedgerows, parks and gardens. They eat worms, seeds, fruits and insects. Rook Rooks have a black plumage with a purple-green sheen. They are distinguished from carrion crows by their bare greyish face and thinner beak. They eat earthworms, insects and grain and are found in open fields and sometimes in towns and villages. Siskin* Siskins are finches with a streaky green-yellow body and a black crown and bib. They are smaller than greenfinches. They eat seeds from trees and insects. Sand martin Sand martins are small birds with dark brown upper parts and wings and pale under parts. They feed on invertebrates, typically catching their food over water. Sand martins are found along rivers and other bodies of water in Britain over the months of March to October. Due to population crashes over the last fifty years, they have been given Amber status.
Song thrush Song thrushes have a brown coat with a white breast, speckled with brown spots and streaks. They are found in woodlands, hedgerows, parks and gardens and feed on slugs, snails, insects, worms, berries and fruit. They are known for their method of extracting snails from their shell by smashing them against a stone anvil. Thrushes are in decline in Britain and this has placed them on the Red List. Sparrowhawk Sparrowhawks have a slate grey back and white under parts which are barred with orange. They are found on the edges of wooded areas and they prey on small birds. They are adapted to fast flight between tree trunks by their broad rounded wings and long tail. Starling* In summer starlings are black in colour with a purple and green sheen. In winter they have white speckles. They eat insects, slugs, snails, earthworms and fruit and are widespread across Britain, being one of Britain s most common garden birds. Large numbers of starlings arrive in Britain in autumn in order to spend the winter here. Red Listed because of declines in population across Europe. Swallow A summer visitor. Swallows are small birds with dark, glossy-blue backs, red throats, pale under parts and long tail streamers. They are extremely agile in flight and spend most of their time on the wing. Often seen on telegraph lines in the Autumn when they are getting ready to migrate. The species is Amber listed due to population declines across Europe. Swift A summer visitor. The swift is a medium-sized aerial bird, which is a superb flier. It evens sleeps on the wing. It is plain sooty brown, but in flight against the sky it appears black. It has long, scythe-like wings and a short, forked tail. Parties of screeching swifts are common in early autumn as they prepare to migrate. Treecreeper The treecreeper is a small bird with speckled brown upperparts and a white underside. It has a downward curving bill which it uses to extract insects and spiders from crevices in trees. In winter it sometimes feeds on seeds. It clings to the side of a tree trunk and makes its way upwards searching for food.
Wagtail Wagtails are small birds with long tails which they wag, and they live on insects. There are two types commonly seen in Nidderdale. The pied wagtail generally has black upperparts and white underside with a white face, black cap and black neck. Grey wagtails have a yellow coloured underside with slate grey upperparts. They prefer to live near fast flowing rivers in summer but move to slower moving lowland rivers in winter. They are in decline and on the Amber list. Woodpecker There are two species of woodpecker in Nidderdale. The great spotted woodpecker is black and white in colour with a red patch underneath their tail. Males have a red patch on the nape of their neck and juveniles have a red crown. They feed on insects, seeds and nuts and are typically found clinging to the sides of tree trunks or bark. They search for their food by making their way up a tree trunk tapping on the bark with their beak. Then they lever off pieces of bark and extract any food underneath with their sticky tongues. The green woodpecker has a striking green rump and a red crown. It has greeny-grey upperparts. They feed on insects and search for food in the same way as the greater spotted woodpecker, but can also been seen searching for insects on the ground. They have Amber Status. Woodpigeon The woodpigeon is Britain s most common pigeon and is mostly grey in colour with a white neck and wing patches. It is found in woods and fields as well as towns and cities, parks and gardens. They eat vegetation, grain, seeds and berries. Pied Wagtail Grey wagtail Great spotted woodpecker Green woodpecker Wren Wrens are one of the smallest birds in Britain and are russet brown with a paler underside. They have a short upturned tail. They live in habitats that provide low cover such as woods and hedgerows. They eat insects and spiders. Wetland Birds Seen on reservoirs and pools, with waders using higher ground near moors for summer breeding. Black headed gull The black-headed gull has a misleading name because for most of the year it has a white head. In summer they develop a chocolate-brown head. It is found almost anywhere inland and along coastland, and feeds on insects, worms, fish and carrion. They are sociable birds found in groups or flocks. It is an Amber list species.
Canada goose Canada geese have a black head and neck with a white patch on the neck. They are an introduced species from North America. They feed on vegetation. Coot Coots are black in colour with a white beak and a shield above the beak which is also white. They are found near bodies of water and feed on insect larvae, snails and vegetation. Curlew Curlews spend their winters near the coast and return to Nidderdale to breed in Spring. They are characterised by their long downward curving bills, brown speckled colour and long legs. It is a wading bird which feeds by probing soft mud for small invertebrates. It also feeds on crabs on the surface. It is an Amber list species Dipper The dipper is found near fast running streams. It is a small dark brown bird with a white throat and bib and a habit of bobbing up and down. It is often seen standing on rocks in the middle of streams before it dives below the water where it walks along the stream bottom searching for insects. It is quite common on Nidderdale streams. Goosander The goosander is a duck with a long serrated bill used for catching fish. The males are mainly white with a dark glossy green head whereas females are grey with a red-brown head. Usually seen in Nidderdale in the winter, it goes north to breed. Grey heron Grey herons are large grey and white birds with black markings on the head and neck. They have a long neck and legs and a long yellow bill. They are commonly found standing very still at the edge of the water waiting for their prey. They feed mainly on fish and frogs. Greylag goose The greylag goose is the ancestor of the domestic goose. It is speckled grey in colour with pink legs and an orange bill. They feed mainly on grass and roots. They have Amber status Kingfisher Kingfishers are small birds found near still or slow-moving water. They are bright blue and orange in colour and feed on fish or aquatic insects. They have Amber status due to their unfavourable conservation status in Europe
Lapwing Lapwings spend their winters near the coast and return to Nidderdale to breed in Spring. Lapwings have a white, green and black plumage with a crest. It is a wading bird which feeds on worms and insects. It is found on farmland and wetland and its name describes its wavering flight. It is also know locally as a Peewit. It is an Amber list species. Mallard The mallard is a large duck which feeds on insects, seeds, berries, shellfish and vegetation. Males have a green head and yellow bill whereas females are brown with an orange bill. Found in wetland habitats. Moorhen Moorhens are birds found near bodies of water. They are ground dwelling and look black from a distance, although they have an olive brown head and back and a grey-blue underside. A distinguishing feature of moorhens is their red beak with a yellow tip. They feed on insects, aquatic plants, seeds, grasses, worms and snails. Oystercatcher The Oystercatcher is a striking black and white bird with a bright orange/red bill They spend the winter at the coast but many come to Nidderdale to breed in the summer. They are most frequently seen near reservoirs or in fields near moor edges. They feed on molluscs and worms. Swan The mute swan is seen mainly on reservoirs in Nidderdale. It is a large stately bird with an S shaped neck and an orange bill. They eat aquatic vegetation, molluscs, frogs and small fish. Modules 2 & 3 look in particular at 4 bird species, and compare their diets and nesting habits. Detailed Fact Sheets on these 4, i.e. Chaffinch, Blue tit, House martin and Sand martin follow.