Bird Christmas Quiz 2021- Ornithology Quiz!

Everyone loves a good quiz, don’t they?

Maybe it’s Christmas afternoon and you’re looking for something fun for all the family? Perhaps you’re on a Zoom call across the miles? You might even be one of my loyal readers who fancies taxing yourself, seeing just how many random bird facts you can remember.

Whatever the reason, you’re here.

Let’s have a little fun with a few rounds of Garden Bird quiz questions, some easier than others. Grab a pen, paper, and your thinking cap!

All the answers are at the bottom, but please, no beaking… I mean peeking!

Round 1 – Random bird facts

  1. Why is the mistle thrush so-called?
  2. Which is the most colourful member of the crow family?
  3. In which tree do kingfishers prefer to build their nests?
  4. What is the name for the aerial display performed by large groups of birds, usually starlings?
  5. What is “oology”?
  6. Which is the smallest of all British birds?
  7. What is the best way to tell a male and female song thrush apart?
  8. If one is for sorrow, and two is for joy, what do three and four represent?
  9. Which bird does the previous question relate to?
  10. What treat is best to entice a robin to eat from your hand?

Round 2 – Collective names for birds

Some of these are funny, and so literal! I’ve added a few letters to give you a helping hand.

  1. M_R_E_  of crows
  2. S_A_T_N_  of flycatchers (think literally)
  3. _R_W_  of kingfishers
  4. C_R_E_  of curlews
  5. T_E_B_I_G  of finches
  6. A_Y_U_  of cuckoos (when someone is said to be ‘cuckoo, they might belong here)
  7. C_N_P_R_C_  of ravens
  8. C_M_O_I_N  of coots
  9. P_R_E_  of linnets
  10. P_A_E_  of godwits (I love this one)

Round 3 – Song birds

Brace yourselves for 10 questions about birds that appear in songs.

  1. Which Fleetwood Mac instrumental is named after a large, white, oceanic bird?
  2. In Mary Poppins, how much did The Bird Lady charge for a bag of seeds?
  3. Which bird did Michael Jackson watch rockin’ in the treetops all day long?
  4. Kid Creole and the Coconuts mentioned a nuisance garden bird in the title of one of his hits. Can you name it?
  5. In 1971, John Denver sung about 2 birds of prey. What were they?
  6. What relevance do the following lyrics have to this quiz? Don’t worry about a thing, ‘cause every little thing is gonna be alright…
  7. In the year 2000, Nelly Furtado sung “I’m Like a…” what?
  8. Whereabouts in London could a nightingale often be heard singing, according to Vera Lynn?
  9. How many different bird species appear in the 12 Days of Christmas?
  10. On the twelfth day, how many birds did my true love give to me?

Round 4 – Multiple Choice

O     House sparrow

O   Tree Sparrow

O   Dunnock

O   Siskin

O   Dunnock

O   Reed bunting

O   Yellowhammer

O   Common starling

O   Eurasian goldfinch

O   Chaffinch

O   European bullfinch

O   European goldfinch

O   Bullfinch

O   Chaffinch

O   Ring ouzel

O   Song thrush

O   Blue tit

O   Willow warbler

O   Nuthatch

O   Great tit

Round 5 – The Home Straight

The answers to the final questions are all found hidden within the articles on my site. Good luck!

  1. What does the word ‘clutch’ mean in the context of garden birds?
  2. Which bird zooms head first down tree trunks, sucking insects and larvae from the cracks as it goes?
  3. Do blue tits use nesting boxes?
  4. What is ‘the other’ popular garden visitor that has a red breast?
  5. Do wrens sleep alone on winter nights?
  6. Is it safe to feed birds chocolate?
  7. Which member of the finch family has a bright red face and a flash of brilliant yellow in its wings?
  8. Do starlings kill other birds?
  9. Will blackbirds eat from hanging feeders?
  10. Do birds take a bath?

That’s it. You have reached the end.

Head down to the answer section to find out just how well you did.

Feel free to leave your score in the comment section; let’s see if we can get a league table going!

Thanks for taking part in my garden bird quiz, I hope you enjoyed answering the questions as much as I enjoyed writing them.

Answers   Answers   Answers

Round 1

  1. They love the taste of mistletoe berries
  2. Jay
  3. None; they are cavity nesters that typically hollow out a hole in muddy river banks.
  4. Murmuration
  5. The study of birds’ eggs
  6. Wren
  7. Only the male sings; other than that, they are identical
  8. 3 for a girl, 4 for a boy
  9. Magpies
  10. Mealworms work best for me, but they are partial to chopped peanuts.

Round 2

  1. MURDER
  2. SWATTING
  3. CROWN
  4. CURFEW
  5. TREMBLING
  6. ASYLUM
  7. CONSPIRACY
  8. COMMOTION
  9. PARCEL
  10. PRAYER

Round 3

  1. Albatross
  2. Tuppence a Bag (Feed the Birds)
  3. Robin
  4. Stool Pigeon
  5. The Eagle and the Hawk
  6. The title – Three Little Birds
  7. Bird!
  8. Berkeley Square
  9. Six species – Partridge, turtle doves, French hens, calling birds, geese, and swans
  10. 23  –                  1 partridge (in a pear tree)

2 turtle doves

3 French hens

4 calling birds

6 geese-a-laying

7 swans-a-swimming

Round 4

  1. House sparrow
  2. Common starling
  3. European goldfinch
  4. Chaffinch
  5. Great tit

Round 5

  1. A clutch is the number of eggs that a bird lays.
  2. Nuthatch
  3. Absolutely. They are cavity nesters so bird boxes in safe positions appeal to them
  4. Bullfinch
  5. Wrens roost en masse when the temperature drops. In the wild, they group in huge flocks to share body heat. As many as 40 wrens share a single nesting box, desperately trying to stay alive.
  6. No. Chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine. They cause vomiting, diarrhoea, seizures, and can be fatal.
  7. Goldfinch
  8. Starlings battle to take control of another bird’s nest. They usual win and it often results in death
  9. No, blackbirds are ground feeders. They hover beneath feeding stations and bird tables to collect scraps that other birds spill. They spend hours each day foraging for worms.
  10. Birds love a bath; it is called preening. They fluff their feathers up and use their wings to splash water. This keeps their core temperature as it should be, and maintains the condition of their skin and plumage.

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