This month’s bird, the starling, is full of charisma, surprisingly exotic in appearance and, when seen en masse, produces one of the most amazing wildlife spectacles. Like that other very familiar bird, the house sparrow, though, not everything is as rosy as it might seem. The starling’s loud personality and numbers mask a disturbing drop …
You might think that the obvious choice for December’s bird of the month would be the robin, that staple of snowy Christmas card scenes. However, the wren has a much older association with this time of year. This diminutive bird is known as the ‘winter king’ in the Netherlands for its habit of singing throughout …
Growing up in the south of England, I didn’t get to see my first dipper until I moved to Ireland in my late 20s. And what a bird to be missing out on! It may be small, but it has bags of character and a dapper appearance. Its lifestyle is also unique among our passerines, …
This content contains affiliate links to Bookshop.org. When you buy through these links, I may earn an affiliate commission. International Dawn Chorus Day is celebrated every year on the first Sunday in May. It is a day to get up (very!) early and soak up the amazing early morning sound of our songbirds in action. …