Gallery - Birds of the Woods

Eagles, Buzzards, Hawks, Kites and Harriers (Accipitridae)

Hawks include the bird-eating hawks such as the sparrowhawk, with broad, rounded wings and long, slender tails; and the buzzards, mostly larger, longer-winged, substantial birds, which use broad wings for soaring.

Eagles of similar size or larger (white-tailed is one of Europe's largest flying birds) with deep, arched, sharply-hooked bills, long, strong, curved claws

Buzzard (Buteo buteo)

Buzzards live in cultivated country and also in uplands with wooded valleys.They feed on small mammals and other animals.Wings are held in a shallow V when soaring,and the bird may hang on the wind or sometimes hover.

Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)

Small woodland hawk that feeds on small birds which it pursues in flight.It never hovers like a Kestrel and will hunt along woodland edges,hedges and even in gardens.Females, being larger,catch prey up to the size of pigeons.

Owls (Strigiformes)

Owls are mainly nocturnal hunters, feeding mostly on small rodents. Some also eat other birds and insects.They have powerful talons and a large,hooked beak, although the beak is partly buried in the feathers and does not look very large. The eyes look forward and are extremely efficient.The ears are also very sensitive, allowing the owls to hear their prey on the ground. Feathery edges to the wings allow the owls to fly silently.

Tawny Owl (Strix aluco)

This plump woodland owl rarley flies in day light and is best known for its hooting song.It feeds on small mammals and also takes birds,insects and worms.It nests in holes in trees or old nests of other large species.

Long-eared Owl (Asio otus)

Tall and thin when alert but when relaxed becomes fluffed out. lives in woods and hunts after dark in open country for mammals and birds.

Woodpeckers (Picidae)

They are often heard before they are seen. Their sharp beaks make a loud rat-a-tat as they chisel into the bark of a tree in search of insects. They also dig out holes for nesting.

Great Spotted Woodpeckers (Dendrocopos major)

A resident of woodlands throughout Europe, this woodpecker eats insects,nuts and seeds,but also takes eggs and young birds in the spring.It climbs trees in a series of hops and is rarely seen on the ground. The nest is in a tree which the woodpecker chisels out itself.

Wryneck (Jynx torquilla)

The Wryneck is a red listed species-high conservation concern.

Related to the woodpeckers, the Wryneck is a summer migrant to open woodlands,parks and orchards. It winters in Africa.On the ground it hops, feeding largely on ants

Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis)

The Green Woodpecker is an Amber list species-medium conservation concern.

A large resident woodpecker which lives in woodland, small copses,farmland and parks. It often feeds on the ground and sometimes well away from trees. It eats ants and other insects.

Crows (Corvidae)

Crows are the largest perching birds and they are among the cleverest of all birds.

Jay (garrulus glandarius)

A noisy but shy woodland species. Usually associated with deciduous woodland. Eats insects,seeds especially acorns, eggs and young birds. Nests in a fork of a tree.

Tits (Paridae)

Tits are mainly woodland birds but several kinds visit gardens.

Coal Tit (Parus ater)

Conifer woods are the usual home for this small bird. Eats insects,spiders and seeds. Nests in holes, including underground.

Marsh Tit (Parus palustris)

The Marsh Tit is classed as a Red list species-high conservation concern.

A resident of deciduous woodland in central Europe,rather secretive. It eats insects,spiders,fruits and seeds feeding among the leaves or taking food from the ground. Nests in a hole in a tree, a stump, a wall or among roots.

Willow Tit (Parus montanus)

The Willow Tit is listed as a Red Species which is a high risk bird.

Very simlar to the Marsh Tit, eats insects and seeds and usualy nests in a hole in a rotten tree-stump.

Long-Tailed Tit (Aegithalidae)

Several families of birds are called tits, which is simply an old word for little. if it were not for there tails, which take up more than half their length, long-tailed tits would be among the worlds tiniest birds

Long Tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus)

Tiny body and very long tail, likes scrub and woodland edges but also visits parks and gardens.The beautiful domed nest is built of moss,lichen and spiders webs.

Nuthatches (Sittidae)

Nuthatches are very agile tree birds and are to be seen clambering up or running headfirst down trunks and along branches, picking insects from the bark.

Nuthatch (Sitta europaea)

On tree trunks and branches it moves with little jumps and often decends head first. It eats insects and seeds including nuts which it wedges in a crevice and hammers open. Nests in holes and plasters the entrance with mud to deter other species from entering.

Treecreepers (Certhiidae)

These birds are named after the way they creep up tree trunks, seeking insects in the bark. They nest in holes and crevices in trees behind ivy.

Treecreeper (Certhia familiaris)

Small brown woodland bird which creeps like a mouse up tree trunks and large branches, usually spiralling round as it searches for insects and spiders.The nest is built in a crevice often behind loose bark.

Thrushes (Turdidae)

This large family contains several birds that are well-known garden visitors. They feed mainly on berries and other fruits and insects, but are often seen looking for worms.

Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus)

The Redstart is a Amber List Species-medium conservation concern.

The Redstart is a summer visiter to open woodlands and parkland, in some places has moved into towns. It mainly eats insects.

Wablers (Sylviidae)

Warblers are small birds that flit about among trees,bushes and reeds, restlessly searching for insects to eat.They are named after their warbling songs, which vary widely from one species to another.

Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus)

The Willow Wabler has been classified as a Amber list species-medium conservation concern.

Summer migrant from central and southern Africa.It feeds on insects,spiders and berries.Nests in vegetation on the ground.

Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collbita)

A summer visitor to woods and copses over most of Europe. Feeds on insects which it finds in trees and bushes and sometimes catches in flight. Nests in vegetation on or near the ground.

Wood Wabler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix)

The wood wabler is a Amber list species-medium conservation concern.This rather smart wabler prefers mature woodland with little undergrowth. It feeds on insects and nests on the ground.

Flycatchers (Muscicapidae)

These birds are well named for they are most likely to be seen sitting watchfully on a perch and then suddenly darting out to capture a fly or some other flying insect.

Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca)

The Pied Flycatcher is a summer visitor to mainly mature deciduous woods with open areas and suitable holes for nesting. It has been attracted by nestboxes. Feeds on insects which it mostly catches in mid air.

Finches (Fringillidae)

Like tits,finches are generally among the most well-known and liked of birds, for they often come to gardens and parks,adding a touch of colour with their bright plumage.

Siskin (carduelis spinus)

A small finch of conifer forests, in autumn it migrates and flocks of Siskins are more widespread, feeding on birch and alder seeds. Numbers vary considerably from year to year. The nest is small, compact and built out on a branch.

Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra)

Crossbills live in conifer forests.The bill is uniquely adapted for removing seeds from cones.Nesting is linked to the cone crop and egg laying may take place even in winter. The nest is built high in the conefer.

Lesser Redpoll (Carduelis cabaret)

The Lesser Redpoll is an Amber list Species- Medium Conservation concern.

Pedpolls eat seeds, especially birch and insects.

Goldcrests (Regulidae)

Goldcrests are active little birds that flit through bushes and trees hunting for insects. In winter they may join flocks of Tits seeking food. Two species are found in Europe and they are the smallest European birds.

Firecrest (Regulus ignicapillus)

The Firecrest is a Amber list species-Medium conservation concern.

This very small bird has a more southerly distribution than its lookalike the Goldcrest. It nests in conifers or sometimes other trees, often feeding in low dense undergrowth. Feeds on insects.

Orioles (Oriolidae)

Most Orioles are brightly coloured birds of tropical forests. Only one species breeds in Europe.

Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus)

One of Europes most attractive summer visitors,England is at its most northern range.

© Simon Thurgood 2010
Images on this website may not be put as any part of any collection without any prior written permission.