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Quiz about Seabirds of Britain
Quiz about Seabirds of Britain

Seabirds of Britain Trivia Quiz


Being an island nation the UK has much coastline which is home to many fascinating sea birds. See how much you know about seabirds of the UK in this quiz.

A photo quiz by Stoaty. Estimated time: 3 mins.
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Author
Stoaty
Time
3 mins
Type
Photo Quiz
Quiz #
418,064
Updated
Nov 29 24
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Easy
Avg Score
8 / 10
Plays
139
Last 3 plays: londoneye98 (7/10), mazza47 (9/10), SueLane (7/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. What is the name of this bird that spends its summers breeding on cliffs around the British Isles? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Known for its ability to nest on almost vertical cliffs this bird, with the scientific name Rissa tridactyla, is given what name in English after the noise of its call? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. These birds are European shags (also sometimes called common shags) and they have the scientific name Gulosus aristotelis. The genus name Gulosus is derived from the Latin word for what? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. This bird lives in northern areas in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. In Europe it is called a common guillemot but what is it called in North America? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. The great skua steals food from other birds including those much larger than it.


Question 6 of 10
6. This bird is a fulmar and its name comes from an Old Norse word meaning 'foul gull'. Why was it given this name?


Question 7 of 10
7. When diving for food, gannets, like the one pictured, can reach speeds of up 100 km/h (over 60 mph).


Question 8 of 10
8. This member of the gull family is a common sight in coastal areas of the UK and can also sometimes be found inland. Its full name includes the name of which type of fish? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Cormorants can often be spotted standing with their wings stretched like the bird in the picture. Why do they do this?


Question 10 of 10
10. This bird is an Arctic tern. The species has a very long migration travelling from its breeding grounds in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions to which location each year? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. What is the name of this bird that spends its summers breeding on cliffs around the British Isles?

Answer: Atlantic Puffin

Atlantic puffins make their nests in burrows in the ground. They spend summers nesting on cliffs and islands around the coast of England, Scotland and Wales. Puffins mate for life with the same pair reuniting each year. They create one chick, called a puffling, each year.
2. Known for its ability to nest on almost vertical cliffs this bird, with the scientific name Rissa tridactyla, is given what name in English after the noise of its call?

Answer: Kittiwake

Kittiwakes are members of the gull family. They are summer visitors to the UK where they breed in coastal areas, in particular on the north east coast of England and the eastern and northern coast of Scotland. Kittiwakes spend their winters at sea in the Atlantic Ocean. The kittiwake has a loud, shrill call that sounds like 'kittee-wa-aaake' which gives it its name.
3. These birds are European shags (also sometimes called common shags) and they have the scientific name Gulosus aristotelis. The genus name Gulosus is derived from the Latin word for what?

Answer: Glutton

European shags are the only member of the genus Gulosus. The bird was originally classified in the genus Phalacocorax but a study in 2014 decided it was too different from other members of this genus and should have its own. The genus Gulosus was adopted by the International Ornithologists Union in 2021.
4. This bird lives in northern areas in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. In Europe it is called a common guillemot but what is it called in North America?

Answer: Common Murre

The name guillemot derives from the French version of the name William which is Guillaume. It is believed to have been given this name because the cry of young guillemots sounds like they are crying 'will' or 'willem'. The name murre, more commonly used in America, derives from the call of adult birds which sounds like a low growling sound.
5. The great skua steals food from other birds including those much larger than it.

Answer: True

Great skuas catch fish from the surface of the sea but are known for being aggressive and stealing fish from other birds. A common target is the puffin where great skuas sometimes steal fish from the mouths of puffins which are bringing food back to their young.

They will also target much larger birds such as gannets. The birds are summer visitors to the north of the UK and spend their winter on the coast of Spain and north Africa.
6. This bird is a fulmar and its name comes from an Old Norse word meaning 'foul gull'. Why was it given this name?

Answer: It emits a foul smelling oil

This is a northern fulmar which lives in northern regions of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. There is also a southern fulmar which inhabits the area around Antarctica. The birds belong to the genus Fulmarus.

This genus was named by the English naturalist James Stephens in 1826 after the Old Norse fulmar which means 'foul gull'. This was selected because fulmars make an oil in their stomachs that is foul smelling and can be sprayed from their mouths either as a defence mechanism or as a food source on long flights.
7. When diving for food, gannets, like the one pictured, can reach speeds of up 100 km/h (over 60 mph).

Answer: True

Gannets feed by diving for fish. Dropping from a height of 30m they can reach speeds of 100 km/h (60 + mph) as they hit the water enabling them to reach fish at greater depths than most birds. Gannets are large birds and can have a wingspan of up to 2 meters (over six feet) making them the largest seabirds in the North Atlantic.
8. This member of the gull family is a common sight in coastal areas of the UK and can also sometimes be found inland. Its full name includes the name of which type of fish?

Answer: Herring

Known as a stealer of chips at the British seaside, European herring gulls are found in coastal areas throughout the British Isles. They can also sometimes be found inland especially around large lakes and rubbish tips. Herring gulls eat fish and crustaceans caught from the sea but they will also eat plants, carrion or food discarded by humans. Young herring gulls have a mottled brown plumage and do not develop their adult plumage (like the gull in the picture) until they are around four years old.
9. Cormorants can often be spotted standing with their wings stretched like the bird in the picture. Why do they do this?

Answer: To dry their wings

The great cormorant can be found throughout Europe, Asia and Australia as well as some populations found on the east coast of North America. The UK has a resident population of cormorants and also plays host to a significant number of migrating cormorants in winter.

The birds dive for fish from the surface of the water to feed and after diving can often be seen standing with their wings outstretched to help dry their feathers.
10. This bird is an Arctic tern. The species has a very long migration travelling from its breeding grounds in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions to which location each year?

Answer: Antarctica

Arctic terns are so called because their primary breeding areas are in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. In the UK they are primarily found on the coast of Scotland with smaller breeding grounds in other areas of the country. Arctic terns then migrate to the Antarctic region for the period that is winter in the northern hemisphere before returning again in time for the northern hemisphere summer.

This means the birds which nest furthest north have an annual migration journey of just under 45,000 miles (72,000 km) which is the longest annual migration in the animal kingdom.
Source: Author Stoaty

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor rossian before going online.
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