Just before dusk during the short days of winter in virtually any farmed area across much of western and central Europe large wheeling flocks of rooks (Corvus frugilegus) gather in the gloom in the tops of tall trees in traditional pre-roosts. The...
From the city parks of Europe to hidden-away valleys in the mountains of Arabia, you may be awoken by the repetitive deep rasping cooing of the five-note song – ‘COOO coo coo-coo coo’ of the ‘chubby’ Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus). Many people...
The Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus), is certainly a bird that lives up to its name, adding a splash of color to the bird feeders of many a garden bird table. Formerly a denizen of deep dark woodland, it is a species that has adapted well to...
The rosy starling (Pastor roseus), aka rose-colored starling, aka rosy pastor is perhaps one of the pinkest birds in the world and certainly among the very colorful starling (Sturnidae) family. My first memory of seeing this truly exotic looking...
Although the image for most of the turtle dove might be that of Christmas, with your true love gifting you a pair of these beautiful doves, they are in fact only a winter visitor to sub-Saharan Africa and spend some of spring, all summer and early...