BIRD 6

BIRD 3

This one is perhaps too easy for most of you, and I am sure you named it instantly. However, others may have had a slight hesitation. The shape, and pattern strongly suggest that it is a woodpecker and furthermore, the black and white overall pattern indicates that it is one of the ‘spotted’ woodpeckers. In the UK we only have two spotted woodpeckers: Great Spotted and Lesser Spotted. And given anything like a decent view (like here), they are not hard to tell apart. Fundamental to this is that Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers lack any red in the underparts, while Great Spotteds always have a slash of bright red (or pink in younger birds) on the undertail coverts. This is a Great Spotted Woodpecker. Give yourself an extra half mark if the red on the back of the head told you it was a male.

We finish this month’s ID Challenge with an old favourite, and a bird which continues to dominate our Q& A postbag. Another bird perched on a bare branch on a snowy, winter’s day, this bird is slighter in build than the thrush featured as Bird 1, with a finer bill and very fine pink legs. That fine black bill is more like that of a Robin, and typical of an insect-eater like a warbler. But the plumage is grey and streaky brown, more like a female House Sparrow. A closer look shows it is predominantly grey, with a broad grey supercilium (‘eyebrow’) contrasting with brown cheeks (ear coverts). This ‘ Robin in sparrow’s clothing’ appearance is typical of the impression given by this very common garden bird: the Dunnock, aka Hedgesparrow.

Key features

n Grey and brown, drab colouring

n Fine pink legs; fine black bill

n Grey plumage with brown cheeks

n Streaked brown flanks

Woodpecker bill Red on undertail coverts Black-and-white and red all over

Looks like a ‘Robin in sparrow’s clothing’ Fine, pink legs and feet Brown flank streaks and cheeks contrast with grey breast/ belly