Garden Birds - Starling to Wren

Click the thumbnail to see the larger image - all the pictures expand to 1500 x 1000 pixels. On this page: Starling, Stonechat, Swallow, Swift, Tree Sparrow, Waxwing, Whitethroat, Willow Tit, Wood Pigeon and Wren. The video links open in a separate window.

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Starling - Starlings aren't quite as common in our gardens as they once were but they are known for flocking in large murmurations in the Winter months. The adults have the spottier marking in the Winter which they generally lack in the Summer and the juveniles are a quite different brown. At times they can be sexed by the colour of their beak at the base, males being blue and females pink.

Starling video and Young starling being fed

Stonechat The Stonechat is a member of the Thrush family but is not commonly seen in gardens preferring open ground. The male is quite distinct from the female with a more striking black head and white half collar while the female is browner with a less orange breast.

Swallow The Barn Swallow is a Summer visitor to the UK, migrating from Africa. They feed on insects on open ground and so would not normally be seen in a garden unless they are nesting or feeding close by. When seen flying they can be identified by their long forked tails.

Swift The Swift is a seasonal migrant from Africa and can be seen during the Summer months flying high and catching insects with great aerial skill. The Swift is unusual in that it doesn't land to perch or sleep, spending all its time in the air with the exception of nesting. Can be identified by its long scythe-like wings.

Tree Sparrow Tree Sparrows are similar to their more common cousins the House Sparrow but are easily told apart by their chestnut brown cap and also white cheek with a black patch. Unlike the House Sparrow both sexes are alike.

Waxwing - Waxwings are a Winter visitor to the UK. Not uncommon in the North and East but much rarer in the South and West. They'll look for berries on trees to feed on but will take apple from feeders especially if food is scarce.

Waxwing video

Whitethroat - The Common Whitethroat is a member of the warbler family and is a Summer visitor to the UK migrating from Africa. Not often a garden visitor but is quite common in park or farm land during the Summer. Adult males have a greyer head than the browner females.

Whitethroat video of the bird singing

Willow Tit The Willow Tit is similar in size and colour to the more common Coal Tit and also very similar to the less common Marsh Tit. The most obvious difference to a Coal Tit is the lack of a large black bib, having only a small moustache, though slightly larger than that of Marsh Tit. It also lacks the white bars on the wings.

Wood Pigeon The Wood Pigeon is reasonably larger than the Feral Pigeon and is similar to the rarer Stock Dove which lacks the white of the Wood Pigeon.

Wren - The Wren is Britain's smallest bird and one of the commonest but as its not a bird that will visit the feeder. It's sometimes called the little bird with the big voice and when you hear it sing you'll understand why.

Wren video of the bird singing and here of a wren building a nest.

British Garden Birds

Fifth page - Starling to Wren