36 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Field-characters. — Its bustling activity on ground, spindle-like 

 contour of body on wing, direct purposeful flight, rapid beats of 

 short triangular wings alternating with gliding motions, loqua- 

 city, sociability, and aerial evolutions of flocks at dusk, are all 

 characteristic. 



Breeding-habits. — Generally breeds in hole — most frequently in 

 tree or building, but also in nest-boxes, ivy on walls, among rocks 

 and heaps of stones, and occasionally in foundations of larger 

 birds' nests, in holes in ground, haystacks, etc. Nest. — Untidy, 

 built of stra^\', lined feathers and sometimes containing leaves, 

 wool, or moss. Eggs. — 5-7 sometimes 8 ; very pale blue or some- 

 times almost white, and with some gloss. Average size of 50 

 eggs, 30.2 X 21.3 mm. Breeding-season. — ^About mid-April, but 

 occasional^ has second brood, in some districts not uncom- 

 monly. Exceptionally breeds also in late autumn and even 

 "vinter. Intubation. — ^Lasts 12-13 days (S. E. Brock), 14 days 

 (Liebe) ; shared by both sexes. Fledging -'period. — 21-22 days 

 (S.E.B.). 



Food. — Mainly insects and their larvae, many species of coleoptera 

 (cliiefly dung-beetles, weevils, or wire worms), lepidoptera (larvae 

 of noctuse and other moths) ^ orthoptera (earwigs), diptera (larvae 

 of tipula, etc.). Also earth-worms, spiders, centipedes, woodlice, 

 and mollusca (slugs and snails), sometimes wheat, eggs, and in 

 some districts much fruit in summer and autumn. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Resident. Grenerally distributed. 

 Increased greatly during last fifty years or so, and has spread 

 northwards on Scottish mainland (has long been common Shet- 

 lands and Orkneys) and westwards on mainland Great Britain and 

 Ireland and in I. Hebrides, though has long been common (but 

 lately greatly increased) in 0. Hebrides and some western isles of 

 Ireland. In Ireland now nests every county, but still scarce some 

 districts, especially in parts of Cork and Kerry. 



Migrations. — British Isles. — Our residents flock late summer 

 and some emigrate autumn and return Feb. and March. Vast 

 numbers arrive from central and north Europe on east coast Great 

 Britain end Sept. to first week Nov., extremes second week 

 Sept. to third week Nov. ; some winter and some pass south 

 and return mid-Feb. to early April. A great immigration in 

 Ireland from Sept. to Nov. Winter weather-movements also occur. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — ^From north Scandinavia and Russia to 

 soutli Europe, the Pyrenees and Italy ; casual in Spitsbergen, and 

 eitlier this or the Fseroe bird in Greenland and Iceland ; on migra- 

 tion to Madeira and Canary Islands, wintering in Mediterranean 

 region. Other more or less close-allied forms on Faeroes, Azores, 

 in south-east Europe, and in Asia. 



