4 COMMON BRITISH BIRDS 



Eggs. Eight or ten. Buff-coloured, spotted, and 

 blotched with dark reddish-brown. 



Haunts. Open moors and hillsides covered with heath 

 and ling. The Red Grouse is confined to the British 

 Isles, and is therefore peculiarly a ' British bird.' 



HAWFINCH. (R. Finches.) 



Size. Rather larger than a Sparrow. Heavily 

 built, with thick beak. 



Colour. Chin and throat black ; crown of head, 

 cheeks, and rump chestnut ; on the nape a collar of grey ; 

 back and lesser wing-coverts deep chestnut ; greater 

 coverts greyish-white, forming a broad bar on the wings. 

 Secondaries and some of the inner primaries glossy black 

 with a white spot on the inner web, rest of the quills 

 black. Under partsvinous-red, lower abdomen and under 

 tail-coverts white. Two middle tail-feathers like back, 

 rest dark brown with a large white spot on the inner 

 web ; and as the outer web is narrow and the colour 

 fades off at the end, a large amount of white shows when 

 the bird flies. 



Note. Rather a silent bird, the note when heard being 

 described as ' soft and inward, somewhat resembling 

 that of the Bullfinch.' 



Distinguishing Feature. Thick bill and appearance ; 

 hows much white in tail during flight. Chestnut- 

 brown on upper parts. Appears to be increasing in 

 numbers in England. 



Nest. Composed of small twigs, dried grass, &c., 

 lined fine roots and hair. In hedges or trees. 



Eggs. Bluish-white, spotted and streaked grey and 

 brown. 



Haunts. Gardens and woods. 



HAWK, SPARROW. (R. Falcons.) 



Size. Pigeon. 



Colour. Above slaty-grey, with darker bars on tail. 

 Below reddish-white, with narrow bars of brown. 

 Beak hooked , legs and toes yellow with long sharp black 

 talons. 



Note. Not often heard to utter a note. 



Distinguishing Feature. The slate-grey form, flying 

 swiftly and silently down the hedgerow or through the 

 trees in the wood, as the Sparrow hawk searches for its 



