earill>H BIKDS REY Lhow BY LIEUT.-COLONEL L. HOWARD IRBY, F.L.S., AUTHOR OF ‘ ORNITHOLOGY OF THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR.’ SECOND EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED. en ner rs er ec LONDON: | R. H. PORTER, 18 PRINCES STREET, CAVENDISH SQUARE, W. 1892. BRITISH BIRDS: Riel bt 5.8, BY LIEUT.-COLONEL L. HowarD Irpy, F.L.S., AUTIIOR OF ‘ ORNITIOLOGY OF TUE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR.’ SMITHS 0) “AN SECOND EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED. TE OTE rn LONDON: H. PORTER, 18 PRINCES STREET, CAVENDISH SQUARE, W. 1892. All righis reserved. PRINTED BY TAYLOR AND FRANCIS, RED LION COURT, FLEET STREET. INTRODUCTION: ————-———- 20 8 & ———_— —————_ Tus attempt at a “Key List ” of British Birds is not intended for scientific ornithologists, but for those who have only a slight knowledge of birds, so as to enable them to determine a species without having to search through bulky volumes. Of course, such a list must be, to a great extent (as all Natural History works are), a compilation; but the writer has examined and compared specimens of all the species. Every endeavour has been made to avoid technical and scientific terms and to be as concise as possible. American land-birds included in “ British” lists have been omitted; others might with propriety be struck out—such as specimens escaped from captivity, or cluded without sufficient inquiry as to their authenticity. With slight modifications, the nomenclature and arrangement of the ‘ Ibis’ List have been followed. Measurements of length are given, but only as an attempt to show the proportionate size of a species. In the writer’s opinion measurements are not of much service, especially as hardly any two persons measure a bird in the same manner, Unless otherwise stated, the sexes are alike in plumage, and the remarks refer to adults in summer plumage. A species is called “ resident” when it is found in the country throughout the year, but there is no doubt that even among resi- dents there is a partial migration. iv INTRODUCTION. From “spring to autumn” signifies that the species is a regular migrant and breeds in some parts of the British Islands. Habitat or geographical range of the rarer birds is given in the margin. Of the 376 species included in this list some 132 are resi- dents: about 52 are migrants, which breed, or have bred, in the British Islands; some of these, such as Chiffchaff, Quail, Land-Rail, &e., rarely remain throughout the winter,—making the number of nesting species about 184. Regular winter visitors number about 37. Northern stragglers number 25. American stragglers are 23 in number. The remainder are stragglers from the South and Hast, many having only occurred once. Diagrams are given showing the names of the different parts of a bird. res Ear-coverts \ Forehead } Crown Hinder crown Hind Neck oa * Throat” Mantle or Interscapulary region eg : _-Scapulars Lower Throat Ge Median Wing-coverts KEM hist OF BRITISH BIRDS. Order PASSERES. Family TURDID A. Subfamily TURDIN AX. Young spotted. 1. Misrne-Turvusn. Zurdus viscivorus, Linneus. Resident *. Axillaries white; a white patch on end of inner web of two outer tail- feathers on each side. Young. Spotted with buff and black on head and back. Length 11 inches. 2. Sone-Turusne. Turdus musicus, Linneus. Resident. Axillaries buffish yellow ; eye-stripe scarcely developed. Young. Spotted; the feathers of upper surface with pale centres. After first moult young} resembles adult, but has pale ends to the wing- coverts. Length 9 inches. 3. Repwine. TZurdus iliacus, Linneus. Autumn to spring. Axillaries chestnut-red ; well-defined whitish streak over eye, reaching to nape. Length 8% inches. 4, Frenprare. Turdus pilaris, Linneus. Autumn to spring. Axillaries white; rump slate-grey. Length 10 inches. 5 i g i) Note.—Neither Redwings nor Fieldfares have yet been proved to breed in the British Isles. 5. Brack-rHroatep THrusu. Zurdus atrigularis, Temminck. ‘Two occurrences : Sussex, 1868, and Perthshire, 1879. Axillaries grey, with a shade of chestnut. Adult male. Throat and breast black; belly whitish; back greyish brown. Female. Throat white, streaked and spotted with black. Length 94 inches. * See remarks on “ Residents” in the Introduction, N. Asia, wintering in 8. Asia. E, Asia. N. Asia, wintering in 8. Asia, Java, and Sumatra. 8. Europe, wintering in Africa. C. Asia, N.E. Africa, passing §, in winter, 2 TURDID ©. 6. Bracksrrp. Turdus merula, Linneus. Resident. Male. Black: bill orange-yellow. Female. Brownish black or reddish brown : bill brown. Young. Like female, but more spotted ; the male with blackish bill. Length 10 inches. 7. Riye-Ovzen. Turdus torquatus, Linneus. Spring to autumn*; breeding in hilly districts ; occasionally remaining throughout the year. Male. Uniform brownish black, with white crescent on chest. Female. Lighter; crescent narrower, washed with brown. Young. Spotted. Length 11 inches. 8. Wurre’s Turusn. Geocichlu varia (Pallas). Rare winter straggler. General colour above olive-brown, each feather with a crescent-shaped black band across the end. Axillaries with the basal half white, rest black; white band across the underpart of the wing. fourteen tail- feathers. Length 123 inches. [Sipertan Turusu. Geocichla sibirica (Pallas). One specimen, said to be from Surrey, 1860 (}*. Bond). Axillaries white, with slaty-grey tips. Tail of twelve feathers. Male. General colour slate-grey ; with conspicuous white eye-stripe reaching to nape. Female. General colour above olive-brown ; below with brown curved marks; eye-stripe buff. Length 9 inches. | 9, Rocx-Turusu. Monticola savatilis (Linneus). One occurrence : Herts, 1843. Tail chestnut, two centre feathers darker than others; axillaries and lower parts chestnut. Male. Head and neck blue; centre of back nearly white. Female. Brown, mottled. Length 73 inches. 10. Wueatear. Saxicola enanthe, Linneus. * Spring to autumn. Axillaries white, with dark centres. Male. Above pale slate-grey ; below white; ear-coverts black. Female. Above dull brown ; below buff; ear-coverts dark brown. Young. Like the female, but spotted with dark markings on feathers above and below. Both sexes in autumn are alike, resembling female in spring, but have buff margins to all the feathers. (Rump white, as with all the Wheatears in this list.) 11. IsapernineE Waratear. Sazicola isabellina, Riippell. Once: Nov. 1887, Cumberland. Sexes alike, above sandy or dull brown, somewhat like the female of S. enanthe. Axillaries and wnder wing-coverts white. Terminal half of tail black, rest white: the two centre feathers with more black than the others. * “ Spring to autumn,” see remarks in the Introduction. TURDID ©. 3 12. Desert Wueatrar, Saaicola deserti, Riippell. Two occurrences : Scotland, Noy. 1880; Yorkshire, Oct. 1885. Terminal half of tail black, rest white; avillaries black, with white tips. Male. Back, crown, and scapulars uniform buff; chin and throat black, Length 53 inches. 13. Western Brack-rnroatep Wuearnar. Sawicola stapazina, Vieillot. One occurrence in Lancashire, May 1875. Axillaries black; two-thirds of two centre tail-feathers black with the basal third white, the others white tipped with black. Male. Crown, back, rump, breast, and belly white, suffused with buff on back and breast. Chin and upper throat black. Length 52 inches. 14. Wuincnar, Pratincola rubetra (Linneus). Spring to autumn. Male. Chest orange-rufous ; white line over eye from bill to nape; basal half of tail white, rest black. Female. Like male, but paler. Young. Like old female, but more spotted, with white tips to the feathers. Length 5 inches. 15, Sronecuar. Pratincola rubicola (Linneus). Resident. Male. Head, chin, and throat black; breast orange-chestnut ; upper tail-coverts whitish, spotted with black. Tail blackish brown; outer web of outside feathers edged with buff. Female. Upper tail-coverts reddish brown ; lower parts rufous. Young. Spotted. Length 537 inches. 16. Repsrart, Ruticilla pheenicurus (Linneus). Sylvan. Spring to autumn in Great Britain; Ireland, breeds in co. Wicklow. Rump and tail chestnut ; axillaries chestnut, or rufous. Male in spring. Black line in front of the white forehead ; chin, throat, and sides of neck black ; back grey ; centre of belly nearly white. Female, Above dull brown; underparts paler; breast shaded with chestnut and white. Male in autumn much as adult female. Young. Spotted. Length 53 inches. 17. Buack Repstartr, Ruticilla titys (Scopoli). Not uncommon in autumn and winter on rocky coasts of S8.W. of England; elsewhere a straggler. Tail and rump chestnut-red ; two centre tail-feathers dark; axillaries black, or greyish black. Male. Cheeks, throat, and breast black; primaries and secondaries edged on outer webs with white; centre of belly nearly white. Female and young male. Aboye entirely sooty brown ; underparts nearly as dark as the upper. Length 5} inches. BZ 8.W S.W . Europe, . Africa, wintering in W. Africa. C.& N.A S. Europe, frica. Europe, chiefly N. of the Baltic and N, Asia, wintering in N. Africa and India. High mountains of Europe and Asia Minor, 4 TURDID ©. 8. Rep-sporren Brurrnroat, Luticilla suecica (Linneus). Irre- gular migrant, not yet noticed in Ireland. Tail brown, with basal two-thirds of, all but two centre feathers chestnut, Male. Chestnut spot in centre of the blue throat. Female and young male. Below buffish white ; a dark band across throat, with occasionally faint marks of blue and chestnut. Length 6 inches. The more southern White-spotted form, R. cyanecula, has been doubt- fully recorded as British; the only difference between it and 2. suwecica is that in the former the adult male has a white instead of a chestnut spot. Entirely blue-throated individuals are known as 2. wol/i. 19. Rosin. Lrithacus rubecula (Linneus). Resident. Chin, throat, and breast orange-chestnut. Young i in first punmiape mottled, each feather orange-buff tipped with black. Length 5 52 inches. 20. Nientincatp. Daulias luscinia (Linneeus). Sylvan. Spring to autumn, south and east of an imaginary line drawn through and in- cluding East Devon, Glamorganshire, Bee Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, and South Workehure: General colour russet-brown above ; upper tail-coverts and tail chest- nut-brown; underparts buffish white. First primary longer than primary-coverts. Young in first plumage spotted like a Robin. Length 62 inches. Subfamily ACCENTORIN 2. 21. Hepar-Sparrow. Accentor modularis (Linneus). Resident. Above reddish brown, streaked with blackish’ brown ; chin, throat, and breast bluish grey; belly whitish. Young. Streaked above and below; no grey or white. Length 53 inches. 22, AtPInE ACCENTOR. Accentor collaris (Scopoli). Very rare strag- gler to England. Chin and throat dull white, with black spot on each feather; wing- coverts tipped with white; t tail dark brow n, with pale buff tips. ‘Length eat 7 inches. Subfamily SYLVIINZ. 23. WuiretHroat., Sylvia cinerea, Bechstein. Sylvan. Spring to autumn. Back reddish brown ; legs pale brown ; chin and throat much whiter than the rest of the underparts; quills and wing-coverts edged with pale rufous ; iris reddish brown, Length 53 inches. TURDIDE. 5 24, Lusser Wurrreruroar. Sylvia curruca (Linneus). Sylvan. Spring to antumn, as far north as the south of Scotland, and has re- cently occurred in [reland. Head and back bluish grey, back suffused with brown ; legs lead-colour ; iris yellowish white. Length 5} inches. 25. GarpEN-Warsier. Sylvia hortensis, Bechstein. Sylvan. Spring to autumn. General colour above and tail olive-brown; underparts greyish white. Head same colour as back ; axillaries and under wing-coverts buff’; chin and throat not whiter than rest of underparts. Length 53 inches. 26. Buackxcar. Sylvia atricapilla (Linneus). Sylvan. Spring to autumn, General colour above ashy brown; chin and throat bluish grey ; tail without any white. Male. Head black. Length 53 inches. Female. Head rufous. Length 6} inches. 27. WusterN Orpuuan Warster. Sylvia orphea, Temminck. Sylvan. Two records in England, neither of them satisfactory. Male. General colour above ashy grey ; chin, throat, and underparts white ; outer pair of tail-feathers w ith outer web white, inner web brown ; next pair white only at tips ; head black. Female. Vike male, but the head only slightly darker than back. Length 62 inches. / 28. Barrep WarRBLER. Sylvia nisoria (Bechstein). Sylvan. Scarce straggler on migration. Not yet noticed in Ireland. Male. General colour above brownish grey ; underparts whitish, with transverse dark-brown bars; the thighs also barred, as are the upper and under tail-coverts ; iris licht yellow. Female. Like male, but less barred. Length 6? inches, 29. DartrorD or Furze WarsiEr. Sylvia undata (Boddaert). Re- sident south of the Thames, rarely north of that river; not in Scotland or Ireland. Local, in gorse-districts only. Upper parts blackish brown; throat, breast, and sides chestnut-brown ; feathers of chin and throat tipped with white; tail long and graduated, half the length of the bird; eyelids and iris red in adults, yellow in young. Length 5 inches. 30. Western Rurous Warsier. Aédon galactodes oe Three occurrences: Sussex, Sept. 1854; Devon, Sept. 1859, Oct. 18 Upper parts pale chestnut-brown. Tail long and graduated ; the two centre feathers rich reddish buff ; the others reddish butt, except the ends, which are black, tipped with white. Length 7 inches. S. Sweden, C. & E. Europe, wintering in E, Africa. S.W. Europe, N. Africa, * wintering fur- ther south. C. & S. Europe, wintering in Africa. C.&S. Europe, wintering in Africa. C. & S. Europe, wintering in Africa, C. & 8. Europe, wintering in Africa, 6 TURDID AE. 31. Groat ReEp-WaARBLEr. rare straggler to England. Upper parts and tail olive-brown, below pale buff; centre of belly whitish ; tail graduated and long; legs pale brown. Length 8 inches. Nest interwoven with and suspended between reeds. Acrocephalus turdoides (Meyer). Very 32. Ruep-WanrBLER.