Not For Christmas Lunch Trivia Quiz

Answer: Waxwing

Waxwings occasionally arrive in big flocks when the berries in their normal habitat of northern Europe run out. They are particularly fond of rowan and hawthorn berries, but will eat other types as well. They can be seen at any time between October and May, when they fly back north to breed.

Answer: Bunting

The snow bunting is mainly resident in the Arctic region, which is also where it breeds. It arrives in the UK in the autumn, before departing in February and March, and can mainly be seen in Scotland and eastern parts of England. There are a few breeding pairs resident in Scotland, but they are rare in the UK. The bird pictured is a male looking at his best, in his breeding plumage.

Answer: Thrush

The fieldfare is very similar in appearance to the mistle thrush in particular. They do not normally breed in the UK, preferring the colder, northern regions of Europe, such as Scandinavia and Iceland. They do live and breed in other parts of Europe, including Poland, Germany and Austria. Estimates of the numbers of winter visitors to the UK are around 700,000 birds.

Answer: Tundra swan

The tundra swans are Cygnus columbianus, with the whistling swan being the alternative name for the species and the Bewick's being a subspecies. The Bewick's swan is a UK visitor, and arrives at various wild bird sanctuaries, such as the one at Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, from October onwards.

They return to the Arctic regions to breed in spring. The mute swan is a year round UK resident, the whooper swan is another winter immigrant and trumpeter swans are primarily found in North America.

Answer: Redwing

There are a few resident pairs in the UK, according to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, but the main influx is over the winter months (October to March/April). The winter numbers can be up to 700,000 birds, while estimates of breeding pairs range from four to sixteen in the early twenty-first century.

Answer: Japan

There is some debate over the correct family for the Japanese robin, with both names quoted being common, but the bird itself certainly looks like the robin familiar to residents of the UK. The bird is not as friendly as it appears, though, and defends its territory ferociously from intruders - the song is meant as a deterrent to invaders rather than to entertain the human listeners. Attempts were made to introduce the robin to New Zealand and Australia, without success, and Indonesia does not appear to have any either.

Answer: White rump

The brambling often flocks with chaffinches, and the colouring is similar, although the brambling has more orange than the chaffinch's pinkish breast feathers. When in flight, the white rump is very noticeable. During the winter months there can be nearly two million bramblings visiting the UK, although they are mostly gone again by the end of April.

Answer: Wigeon

According to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds website, there are between three hundred and five hundred breeding pairs of wigeon in the UK. During the winter, there is a dramatic increase to about 450,000, with the birds coming south for the (relatively) warmer weather. Most of the resident population is found in Scotland and the more northern parts of England, such as in the area of the Pennines.

Answer: Sanderling

The extra clue in the question referred to heather, associated with Scotland and also known as ling. The sanderling is a member of the sandpiper family and feeds on marine creatures on the sea shore. It breeds in the high Arctic regions, but visits the UK during the winter months where it can be seen in most of the coastal regions of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

Answer: Grey partridges

'On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me, a partridge in a pear tree'. The scientific name is Perdix perdix and it is also known as the English partridge. The bird originated in the grasslands of the steppes, but has been established in the UK since the Ice Age.

It was once one of the most common game birds, raised to be shot for sport, in the UK although pheasants have overtaken them as the preferred prey.