Answers & solutions
Check your answers against our explanations. Remember, as ever, there are no ‘trick’ birds or extreme rarities among those here
BIRD 1
You have probably worked out from the differences in size, shape, structure and plumage, that we are dealing with two species in this first photograph. The rounded, ‘neckless’ bird on the left, with a black cap and bib and stout black bill is pretty much unmistakable. That distinctive pink breast and belly, the blue-grey back, single pale wing-bar on black wings and black tail, all point to this being a male Bullfinch. The right-hand bird is smaller, more sparrow-like in shape and pattern, and with a finer ‘pointier’ bill. The sparrow-like shape and head pattern like a female House Sparrow, unstreaked greyish plumage, white shoulder patch, and wing-bars, and hint of yellow-green in the wings, all point to this being a female Chaffinch.
Key features
n Left bird is unmistakable in pink, black and grey
n Right bird has sparrow-like shape and colours
n (Right bird) Unstreaked grey-brown bird
n (Right bird) White shoulder patches and wing-bars
It could be argued that this one is too easy! But, to make it slightly more of a ‘challenge’, the bird is partly obscured from view by vegetation. What stands out immediately is that huge bill, disproportionately massive compared to the head! This should already tell you what it is, but let’s look at what we can see, other than that bill, anyhow. The bill is ‘ horn-coloured, with a thin line of black feathering at the base, black lores (ie between the eye and bill) and a small, black bib. The plumage is of different shades of brown and grey, with a rusty, rounded head, chocolate back and pinky-brown breast, plus a grey nape and collar. The wing has a huge white shoulder patch and black and grey areas. This bird can only be a Hawfinch, with the horn-coloured bill of a winter-plumaged bird.
Key features
n Massive bill is a dead giveaway
n Plumage in different shades of brown and grey
n Big white shoulder patch
n Black bib!