14 COMMON BRITISH BIRDS 



CHAFFINCH. (R. Finches.) 



Size. Sparrow. 



Colour. Male : forehead close to bill black, head 

 bluish-grey, back chestnut-brown, rump greenish. 

 Throat and under parts reddish, passing into white 

 on under tail-coverts. Lesser coverts white, greater 

 coverts black, tipped with white, rest of wing black, 

 some of the feathers being edged with pale yellow and 

 others having white on inner webs. Central tail- 

 feathers greyish ; rest black, tipped with white. Female : 

 brownish-green above, greyish below, wing more brown 

 with white markings not so distinct. 



Note. The song is a single phrase repeated, ending 

 with a curious little twist, the last note but one being 

 higher than the previous one, and the last note again 

 dropping. The call- or alarm-note is a sharp ' Pink, 

 pink,' and can be fairly well imitated by sharply hitting 

 the edge of one penny on another held flat in the hand. 



Distinguishing Feature. Smart, sprightly-looking 

 bird. The large amount of white on the wings. Very 

 common ; often seen walking in the middle of the road. 

 Sharp call-note. 



Nest,. Very beautiful structure, neatly built of moss, 

 lichen, &c.. lined hair, in bush or against trunk of tree. 



Eggs. Purplish- white, with spots and sometimes a 

 streak of dark brown. 



Haunts. Fields and hedges ; gardens, orchards, 

 woods. 



CHIFFCHAFF. (S.M. Warblers.) 



Size. Smaller than Sparrow. 



Colour. Dull olive-green above, wings and tail hi own, 

 feathers margined with greenish. Under parts dingy 

 yellowish-white. Eyebrow greyish -white, dull streak 

 through eye. Feet blackish-brown, nearly black. 



Note. Two notes continually repeated, ' chiff-chaff, 

 chiff-chaff, chiff-chaff,' very distinctive. Heard from 

 fairly tall trees. The only note with which that of the 

 Chiffchaff is likely to be confused is the spring call of the 

 Great Tit ; this, however, is heard much earlier, in 

 January or February, and is more shrill and louder, 

 also a little quicker, there being practically no pause 

 between the two syllables of the Great Tit's call, while 



