Seed Eating Birds Trivia Quiz

The photo shows a male bullfinch. As with many bird species, the female has much duller plumage which is mostly brown - the head, wing feathers and tail are the same as the male's. Finches have strong beaks, designed to crack seeds open, although they also feed on buds in spring.

Bullfinches can be found in most regions of the UK, and in the Republic of Ireland, although their numbers are diminishing.

The coal tit is another bird found in most regions of Britain. Compared to other tits, the colouring is subdued with mostly grey and brown plumage. The white patch at the base of the neck is a distinguishing feature.

The coal tit has a more slender beak than most of its tit relatives, which enables it to extract seeds from conifers. It will also feed on insects and nuts.

A member of the finch family, the siskin resembles the greenfinch in some ways, but is smaller and has a distinctive forked tail. It is found mostly in western regions of the UK, especially in Wales and Scotland.

It is primarily a seed eater, feeding mostly on conifers and birch trees.

The crossbill is another finch and is named for the distinctive cross over tips of its beak. You can see these more clearly by enlarging the photo. The picture shows a male, with the females being greenish brown. The beak is adapted to enable the birds to extract seeds from pine cones, and this is their main diet.

Distribution is most of the UK and Wales, but they are rarer in Scotland, in the far west of England and parts of the Midlands. They are mostly found in woodlands, due to their dietary requirements, and can form large flocks if you're lucky enough to see them.

This is another bird where the colouring is different between males and females. The photo shows a male, with its greenish breast feathers and the beak which identifies it as a finch. Females are mainly brown but both male and female birds have a yellow stripe on their wings and tails, which is noticeable in flight.

They are found in all regions of the UK and are regular visitors to garden feeders. Numbers are dropping, though, and there is concern for their future. Their diet consists mainly of seeds and insects.

The nuthatch is an attractive bird and is easily identified by the black streak across each eye. The body is a brownish orange colour with the upper parts being bluish grey. It is found throughout England and Wales, and is expanding northwards into Scotland. It is rare in all parts of Ireland.

It is a woodland bird and is known for climbing headfirst down tree trunks, examining crevices in the bark to find seeds and insects. It eats nuts and seeds, including acorns. They do visit gardens in the winter, with sunflower hearts being a favourite in my experience.

There are two types of redpoll, both named for the distinctive red feathers on their heads. The lesser redpoll is more likely to be seen than the common redpoll as it is resident in Wales, Scotland and northern England, with many more arriving to spend the winter. The common redpoll visits only in winter and mainly in eastern regions.

Both are members of the finch family feeding on seeds from birch and alder trees. The lesser redpoll does visit bird feeders so may be spotted in gardens, especially during the winter. It is only slightly bigger than the blue tit.

The dunnock is sometimes known as the hedge sparrow, and the resemblance to the house sparrow is obvious. Look more closely, though, and you'll see that the dunnock's beak is much slimmer. The males and females look the same, and the birds are commonly found everywhere in the UK,

As well as seeds, dunnocks feed on insects and worms, forging in borders to locate food.

There are no prizes for working out that this member of the tit family is named for its tail, which is longer than its body and makes it easy to identify. They are widespread in the UK and both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, although distribution is more patchy in Scotland. They have pinkish feathers and are often found in flocks.

They feed on insects with seeds as a back-up as the weather gets colder. If they identify your garden as a good source, they are likely to arrive in numbers to take advantage of a free buffet.

The goldfinch is one of the smallest birds of the finch family, and one of the prettiest with feathers of red on the head and flashes of gold on its wings. Even better, they rarely appear singly and you are more likely to see a small flock of them if they visit your garden.

Goldfinches are particularly fond of nyjer seeds, which are very small and need special feeders to prevent the seeds falling out. The birds will also feed on insects during the summer months.