British Birds A to Z by Common Name

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British Birds A to Z by Common Name

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Title	Scientific Name	Description
Bar-tailed Godwit	Limosa lapponica
Barn Owl	Tyto alba	This is a pale, long-winged, long-legged owl, 33
Barnacle Goose	Branta leucopsis	It is clearly related too but smaller than the Canada Goose with more silvery grey wings and mantle. Identified best by its creamy-white face, black breast and barred back.
Barred Warbler	Sylvia nisoria
Bean Goose	Anser fabalis
Bearded Tit	Panurus biarmicus	Bearded Tit adults have a orange brown plumage with a distinctive long, trailing tail and black and white lines down the wings. Juveniles can be almost orange-coloured with much more black on...
Bewick's Swan	Cygnus columbianus	Bewicks Sawn is the smallest and has shortest-neck of Europes swans, like the Whooper, Bewicks have an obvious yellow in the beak. Bewick's Swan has a short yellow blob at the base, as opposed to a...
Bittern	Botaurus stellaris	Stocky, rather bulky, thick-necked heron, generaly golden brown with distinct black margins and black crown. Sexes alike and no seasonal differences. Juvenille just distinguishable on close view.
Black Grouse	Tetrao tetrix	Male - medium-large grouse with distinctive red eye patch and lyre shaped tail feathers in male. Loud take off noise, and compact in flight. Black with purplish gloss except for white under wing and...
Black Guillemot	Cepphus grylle	Smaller than common Guillemot, body plump and pear-shaped. Summer breeding plumage: Body all black with large oval white upperwing patches; underwing white with dark trailing edge, red legs and feet...
Black Redstart	Phoenicurus ochruros	In summer, the male's plumage is striking with grey upperparsts, a sooty black face and breast and a bold white wing patch, with a rusty red rump and tail. The female is duller, brown-grey with a...
Black Tern	Chlidonias niger
Black-headed Gull	Larus ridibundus	Despite the name, the Black-headed gull spends most of the year with a white head and only shows the dark colours during summer. In fact, when its head does turn dark in summer it doesn't quite make...
Black-necked Grebe	Podiceps nigricollis
Black-tailed Godwit	Limosa limosa
Black-throated Diver	Gavia arctica
Blackbird	Turdus merula	As would be expected, the male blackbird is entirely black with only a ring of orange-yellow around each eye and a yellow beak. However, the female blackbird is a mottled brown colour with flecks and...
Blackcap	Sylvia atricapilla	A large fairly bulky grey warbler with a black cap if male and chestnut-brown for the female. Can be mistaken for the Marsh Tit which is similar in appearance but has a very different shape and...
Blue Tit	Cyanistes caeruleus	A favourite garden bird, the Blue Tit displays a far greater range of colours than its name suggests. In addition to the obvious blue colouring, the bird also carries a vibrant yellow breast,...
Bluethroat	Luscinia svecica	.
Brambling	Fringills montifringilla	The Brambling is a finch whose plumage changes considerably between summer and winter. In the winter, it has a black head, orange breast, white rump, and its upper parts are mainly black but...
Brent Goose	Branta bernicla
Bullfinch	Pyrrhulla pyrrhulla	The male bullfinch is particularly striking with a blue-grey back, bright rose-pink breast, belly and cheeks. The female bullfinch is very similar in appearance, however, her breast is a dull Pinkish...
Buzzard	Buteo buteo	A medium sized bird of prey with broad wings. A shortish fan shaped tail. The common buzzard is renowned for its variation in plumage. Variations include very pale, light, medium, dark and very...