The Ring Ouzel 



sheltered from the wind. Towards the end of September 

 he leaves his summer home and is then generally dis- 

 tributed throughout the country, although often overlooked 

 owing to his resemblance to a Blackbird when seen from a 

 short distance. Watch him, however, till he settles, for 

 when alarmed he invariably perches on the top of the 

 hedge before dropping down the other side, while the 

 Blackbird, with his characteristic motion of the tail, enters 

 the hedge at once low down on the near side. The Bing 

 Ouzel is not at home in the cultivated lowlands, and by 

 the end of October they have all left the country. 



In Cornwall and Devon they reappear again at the end 

 of February, and working their way northwards through 

 Wales, commence to nest early in April, as soon as spring 

 has made itself felt on the hills. A few may spend the 

 winter in our most south-western counties, and it is prob- 

 able that our home-bred birds travel entirely by a western 

 route, and that the birds met with in the east and south- 

 east of the country are all foreign bred, for till the end of 

 April birds are found still pursuing their northward journey 

 to lands beyond ours. 



The general colour of the upper parts is brownish black, 

 with lighter margins to the wing coverts. Under parts 

 brownish black with broad white crescentic gorget. The 

 female is lighter, and has a narrow gorget. In autumn 

 both sexes have the feathers margined with grey. Length 

 10 in. ; wing 5'5 in. 



21 



