🌍🌏 Tawny Owl or Brown Owl (Strix aluco) Appearance: The Tawny Owl is a stocky, medium-sized bird with a large rounded head, dark eyes, and no ear tufts. Its mottled plumage—usually reddish-brown or grey—provides excellent camouflage against tree bark. Distribution: Widespread across Europe and Western Siberia, they are common in the UK but notably absent from Ireland. They favour broadleaf woodlands, though they adapt well to parks and large gardens. Behaviour: Strictly nocturnal and highly territorial, they typically mate for life. They are famous for the "twit-twoo" duet and hunt rodents using silent flight and exceptional hearing. Gemini 3 (Edited) Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) Fun fact: Tawny Owls are incredibly sedentary. Once a pair establishes a territory, they rarely leave it. In fact, many Tawny Owls live their entire lives within 1km of where they were born. Gemini 3 (Edited) 📷: Photo by TheOtherKev via Pixabay https://pixabay.com/photos/tawny-owl-owl-bird-animal-8445463/ XGAK

🌍🌏 Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) #EurasianBirds #EuropeanBirds #AsianBirds #AfricanBirds | #TawnyOwl #BrownOwl #StrixAluco | #Owls #TypicalOwls #TrueOwlFamily #BirdsOfPrey 📷: Photo by TheOtherKev🦉 #MyBirdcards | #birdsoftheworld #birds ❤️🦜

🌍 Dunnock (Prunella modularis) The Dunnock is a small, brown-backed bird with a distinctive slate-grey head and breast, making males and females visually identical. Widespread across Europe and into temperate Asian Russia, it is a resident species common in gardens, parks, and hedgerows, where it maintains a shy and secretive nature. Often called the 'hedge sparrow,' its typical behaviour involves hopping or shuffling along the ground beneath cover, frequently flicking its wings. Seven subspecies are currently recognised. Gemini 3 (Edited) Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) Fun fact: The Dunnock is notable for its unusually complex and variable breeding strategies that often involve non-monogamy. 📷: Photo by Gruendercoach via Pixabay https://pixabay.com/photos/dunnock-passerine-bird-animal-8602735/ NMYM

🌍 Dunnock (Prunella modularis) #EurasianBirds #EuropeanBirds #AsianBirds | #Dunnock #PrunellaModularis | #Dunnocks #Accentors #AccentorFamily #PerchingBirds 📷: Photo by Gruendercoach🦉 #MyBirdcards | #birdsoftheworld #birds ❤️🦜

🌍🌏 Great Tit (Parus major) The Great Tit is a large member of the Tit, Chickadee, and Titmice family, sporting a deep blue-black head, white cheeks, olive-green back, and bright yellow underparts with a black central stripe. It is widespread across Europe and Asia, thriving in woodlands, parks, and gardens. The Great Tit is an active, adaptable, and bold bird, known for its resourceful foraging, dominance at feeders, and loud, distinctive 'teacher-teacher' song, especially during the breeding season. Fifteen subspecies are currently recognised. Gemini 3 (Edited) Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) Fun fact: Highly intelligent birds, Great Tits learned to open the foil caps on traditional glass milk bottles delivered to doorsteps to steal the cream, a behavior that spread rapidly in the mid-20th century. 📷: Photo by Ruiterlijk via Pixabay https://pixabay.com/photos/great-tit-bird-forest-nesting-8673894/ NVHR

🌍🌏 Great Tit (Parus major) #EurasianBirds #EuropeanBirds #AsianBirds #AfricanBirds | #GreatTit #ParusMajor | #Tits #TitFamily #ChickadeeFamily #TitmouseFamily #PerchingBirds 📷: Photo by Ruiterlijk🦉 #MyBirdcards | #birdsoftheworld #birds ❤️🦜

🌍🌏 Grey heron (Ardea cinerea) The Grey Heron is a large, tall wading bird with ashy-grey plumage, a white head featuring a black stripe and crest, and a long, sharp orange bill. It's widely distributed across Europe, Asia, and Africa, often found by shallow water like rivers, lakes, and marshes. The Grey Heron's behaviour is characteristic: it often stands motionless on long legs, patiently ambushing fish, amphibians, or small mammals with a lightning-fast strike. It flies slowly with its neck retracted in an S-shape and nests communally in "heronries," usually high in trees. 2.5 Flash (Edited) Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) Fun fact: If a heron catches a mammal like a rat or vole, it's been observed sometimes dipping the prey in water first to help soften it up before swallowing it whole and head-first. 📷: Photo by dragh via Pixabay https://pixabay.com/photos/heron-grey-heron-lilypads-pond-9029702/ DGYK

🌍🌏 Grey heron (Ardea cinerea) #EurasianBirds #EuropeanBirds #AsianBirds #AfricanBirds | #GreyHeron #ArdeaCinerea | #Herons #HeronFamily #WadingBirds #Waterbirds 📷: Photo by dragh🦉 #MyBirdcards | #birdsoftheworld #birds ❤️🦜

🌍🌏 Common Blackbird, female (Turdus merula) The female Common or Eurasian Blackbird has an overall sooty-brown plumage, contrasting with the male's glossy black. Her breast is often mottled or streaked with darker brown. She has a brown bill and brown legs and feet. Widespread across Europe, North Africa, and Asia, they are often found in gardens, parks, woodlands, and hedgerows. Typically seen hopping on the ground while foraging for insects, worms, and berries. They are generally solitary but pair up during the breeding season. Several subspecies are recognised. 2.5 Flash (Edited) Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) Fun fact: The female is solely responsible for constructing the nest. She weaves a solid, cup-shaped structure out of grass stems and small twigs, then packs it with mud and lines it with finer grasses. 📷: Photo by susannp4 via Pixabay https://pixabay.com/photos/wildlife-bird-nature-songbird-3213931/ NOTG

🌍🌏 Common Blackbird, female (Turdus merula) #EurasianBirds #EuropeanBirds #AsianBirds #AfricanBirds | #CommonBlackbird #EurasianBlackbird #Blackbird | #Blackbirds #TrueThrushes #Thrushes #ThrushFamily #PerchingBirds 📷: Photo by susannp4🦉 #MyBirdcards | #birdsoftheworld #birds ❤️🦜

🌍🌏 Alpine Chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus) The Alpine Chough (also known as the Yellow-billed Chough) has glossy black plumage, a short yellow bill, and red legs. It's distributed across high mountains from Spain through southern Europe, North Africa, to Central Asia and the Himalayas, often nesting higher than any other bird. These highly social birds are renowned for their acrobatic flight and are often seen in flocks. They are opportunistic, feeding on invertebrates and frequently scavenging near tourist sites in winter. Two subspecies are recognised. 2.5 Flash (Edited) Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) Fun fact: The Alpine Chough is thought to nest at a higher altitude than any other bird in the world, with records of them following mountaineers up to over 8,000 meters on Mount Everest 📷: Photo by mzter via Pixabay https://pixabay.com/users/mzter-104756/ XATK

🌍🌏 Alpine Chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus) #EurasianBirds #EuropeanBirds #AsianBirds | #AlpineChough #YellowBilledChough #PyrrhocoraxGraculus | #Choughs #CrowFamily #PerchingBirds 📷: Photo by mzter🦉 #MyBirdcards | #birdsoftheworld #birds ❤️🦜

🌍🌏🌎 Sanderling (Calidris alba) The Sanderling is a small, plump member of the Sandpiper family. In winter, it's very pale grey above and white below with a dark shoulder patch; breeding plumage adds brick-red. It breeds in the High Arctic tundra but migrates globally, wintering on sandy beaches of every continent except Antarctica. Its characteristic behaviour is running back and forth with the waves on the shoreline ("wave-chasing") to probe for small invertebrates. Two subspecies are recognised. 2.5 Flash (Edited) Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) Fun fact: The Sanderling is the only sandpiper that lacks a hind toe. This unique anatomical feature is believed to help them run more quickly and efficiently across soft, sandy surfaces. 📷: Photo by JacekBen via Pixabay https://pixabay.com/photos/sanderling-bird-beach-north-sea-4359720/ IXCS

🌍🌏🌎 Sanderling (Calidris alba) #CosmopolitanBirds #EurasianBirds #AfricanBirds #AustralasianBirds #NorthAmericanBirds #SouthAmericanBirds | #Sanderling #CalidrisAlba | #Sanderlings #Sandpipers #SandpiperFamily #Shorebirds #Waders 📷: Photo by JacekBen🦉 #MyBirdcards | #birdsoftheworld #birds ❤️🦜

🌍🌏 Eurasian Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) The male Eurasian Chaffinch is colourful, with a blue-grey cap, rust-red breast, and prominent white wing bars. The female is duller brown/grey but shares the white wing markings. It is widespread across Europe, Northwest Africa, and Western Asia, favouring woodland, parks, and gardens. They are social outside the breeding season, forming flocks. Males have a loud, distinctive song. Eleven subspecies are currently recognised. 2.5 Flash (Edited) Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) Fun fact: Male Chaffinches have regional dialects in their song! Studies have shown slight differences in the typical song's final "flourish" depending on where in the country (or continent) the bird lives. 📷: Photo by Drosera74 via Pixabay https://pixabay.com/photos/chaffinch-bird-finch-nature-9825010/ WUNE

🌍🌏 Eurasian Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) #EurasianBirds #EuropeanBirds #AsianBirds #AfricanBirds | #EurasianChaffinch #CommonChaffinch #Chaffinch #FringillaCoelebs | #Chaffinches #TrueFinches #OldWorldFinches #Finches #PerchingBirds 📷: Photo by Drosera74🦉 #MyBirdcards | #birdsoftheworld #birds ❤️🦜

🌍🌏🌎 Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) The Glossy Ibis is a medium-sized wading bird with a long, decurved bill and glossy feathers. From a distance, it appears dark, but in good light, its plumage shimmers with iridescent green, purple, and bronze. It has a widespread distribution, found in warm regions across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, favoring wetlands like marshes, swamps, and flooded fields. This is a highly social species that forages in flocks, often probing mud and shallow water for invertebrates. No subspecies are recognised. 2.5 Flash (Edited) Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) Fun fact: The tip of the Glossy Ibis's bill has special touch sensors that allow it to feel for prey like insects and crustaceans buried in the mud. 📷: Photo by BarbeeAnne via Pixabay https://pixabay.com/photos/glossy-ibis-bird-wading-ornithology-2680553/ YCJU

🌍🌏🌎 Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) #CosmopolitanBirds #EurasianBirds #EuropeanBirds #AsianBirds #AfricanBirds #NorthAmericanBirds #SouthAmericanBirds | #GlossyIbis #PlegadisFalcinellus | #Ibises #IbisFamily #WadingBirds #Waterbirds 📷: Photo by BarbeeAnne🦉 #MyBirdcards | #birdsoftheworld #birds

🌍 Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis) The Meadow Pipit is a small, slender bird with a brown back and a buff-coloured, heavily streaked breast. It has dull pink legs and a long hind claw. Meadow Pipits are common throughout the Palearctic, including much of Europe and Asia. They are migratory over most of their range but are year-round residents in western Europe. They prefer open habitats like grasslands, moorlands, and coastal marshes. No subspecies are recognised. 2.5 Flash (Edited) Fun fact: During the breeding season, the male Meadow Pipit performs a fluttering "parachute" display flight high in the air. Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) 📷: Photo by karsten_madsen via Pixabay BGJP

New addition! 🌍 Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis) #EurasianBirds #PalearcticBirds #NorthAmericanBirds #AfricanBirds | #MeadowPipit #AnthusPratensis | #Pipits #WagtailFamily #PerchingBirds 📷: Photo by karsten_madsen🦉 #MyBirdcards | #birdsoftheworld #birds ❤️🦜

🌍 Western Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava) The Western Yellow Wagtail is a small, slender bird with a bright yellow underside and an olive-green back. Males are more vibrant than females. Its most notable feature is its constantly wagging tail, which gives it its name. They are found across Europe and Asia and migrate to Africa for the winter. It feeds on insects and lives in open, wet habitats. 2.5 Flash (Edited) Ten subspecies are recognised. Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) Photo by karsten_madsen via Pixabay https://pixabay.com/photos/bird-wagtail-migratory-birds-beak-6352067/ KSEX

🌍 Western Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava) #EurasianBirds #EuropeanBirds #AsianBirds #AfricanBirds | #WesternYellowWagtail #YellowWagtail #MotacillaFlava | #Wagtails #WagtailFamily #PerchingBirds 📷: Photo by Karsten Madsen ❤️🦜 #MyBirdcards | #birdsoftheworld #birds

🌍🌏 Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops) The Eurasian Hoopoe is a striking bird with a prominent fan-like crest that it can raise or lower. Its plumage is a warm cinnamon colour, contrasted with bold black and white stripes on its wings and tail. It has a long, slender, downcurved bill. This species is widely distributed across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Many populations in the northern part of their range are migratory, while African populations are sedentary. They are solitary foragers, using their long bill to probe the ground for insects. They are also known for dust-bathing. 2.5 Flash (Edited) Eight subspecies are recognised. Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) 📷: Photo by SajeevBhaskaran via Pixabay https://pixabay.com/photos/hoopoe-bird-meadow-grass-animal-5957224/ EDVP

🌍🌏 Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops) #EurasianBirds #EuropeanBirds #AsianBirds #AfricanBirds | #EurasianHoopoe #UpupaEpops | #Hoopoes #HoopoeFamily #Bucerotiformes 📷: Photo by SajeevBhaskaran🦜 #MyBirdcards | #birdsoftheworld #birds

🌍 Eurasian Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) The Eurasian Blue Tit is a small, colourful bird with a blue cap, wings, and tail, a white face with a dark eye-stripe, and a yellowish belly. They are widespread across Europe and parts of western Asia, inhabiting woodlands, parks, and gardens. Blue Tits are highly active and agile foragers, often seen clinging upside down on branches to find insects. They are non-migratory and frequently visit bird feeders, especially during winter. They typically nest in tree holes or nest boxes. 2.5 Flash (Edited) Nine subspecies are recognised. Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) 📷: Photo by wzdigiphoto via Pixabay https://pixabay.com/photos/blue-tit-branch-bird-perched-6091507/ VRYP

🌍 Eurasian Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) #EurasianBirds #EuropeanBirds #AsianBirds | #EurasianBlueTit #BlueTit #CyanistesCaeruleus | #BlueTits #Tits #TitFamily #PerchingBirds 📷: Photo by wzdigiphoto🦜 #MyBirdcards | #birdsoftheworld #birds

🌍🌏 Red-flanked Bluetail (Tarsiger cyanurus) The Red-flanked Bluetail is a small, shy member of the Old World flycatcher family. Males have a vibrant blue back, head, and tail, with a white throat and eyebrow, and distinctive orange-red flanks. Females and juveniles are browner with a duller blue tail and orange flanks. They breed in dense, coniferous forests across northern Asia and parts of Europe, migrating to southern and southeastern Asia for the winter. They are often seen hopping on the forest floor or low branches, flicking their tail. 2.5 Flash (Edited) Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) 📷: Photo by Takashi_Yanagisawa via Pixabay https://pixabay.com/photos/bird-outdoors-wild-animals-natural-3252809/ KYPD

🌍🌏 Red-flanked Bluetail (Tarsiger cyanurus) #EurasianBirds #AsianBirds #EuropeanBirds | #RedFlankedBluetail #OrangeFlankedBushRobin #TarsigerCyanurus | #Bluetails #BushRobins #OldWorldFlycatcherFamily #Chats #PerchingBirds 📷: Photo by Takashi_Yanagisawa🦜 #MyBirdcards | #birdsoftheworld #birds

🌍 European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) The European Goldfinch is a small, colourful finch with a striking red face, black and white head, and a warm brown body. Its most distinctive feature is a broad, bright yellow band on its otherwise black wings, which is particularly visible in flight. Native to Europe, North Africa, and parts of Asia, it inhabits open woodlands, gardens, and farmlands. Goldfinches are highly social birds, often forming large flocks, or "charms," outside of the breeding season. They are known for their agile, undulating flight and a pleasant, twittering song. They use their specialized bills to extract seeds from plants like thistles and teasels. 2.5 Flash (Edited) Ten subspecies are recognised. Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) 📷: Photo by JacekBen via Pixabay https://pixabay.com/photos/bird-beak-plumage-feathers-tree-5483172/ XQRL

🌍 European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) #EurasianBirds #EuropeanBirds #AsianBirds #AfricanBirds | #EuropeanGoldfinch #Goldfinch #CarduelisCarduelis | #Goldfinches #CarduelineFinches #TrueFinchFamily #Finches #PerchingBirds 📷: Photo by JacekBen🦜 #MyBirdcards | #birdsoftheworld #birds

🌍🌏 Eurasian Wryneck (Jynx torquilla) The Eurasian Wryneck or Northern Wryneck (Jynx torquilla) is a small, cryptically patterned member of the woodpecker family, Piciformes. Primarily brown and grey for camouflage, it has a distinctive "wryneck" display where it twists its head and neck in snake-like fashion when threatened. Found across Eurasia, it's a migratory species, breeding in temperate zones and wintering in Africa and southern Asia. 2.5 Flash (Edited) Six subspecies are recognised. Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) 📷: Photo by Luca_Cagnasso via Pixabay https://pixabay.com/photos/stiff-neck-bird-nature-ornithology-5081649/ POSS

New addition! 🌍🌏 Eurasian Wryneck (Jynx torquilla) #EurasianBirds #EuropeanBirds #AsianBirds #AfricanBirds | #EurasianWryneck #NorthernWryneck #JynxTorquilla | #Wrynecks #WoodpeckerFamily #Piciformes 📷: Photo by Luca_Cagnasso🦜 #MyBirdcards #birdsoftheworld #birds

🌍 European robin (Erithacus rubecula) The European robin is a small, plump bird with a distinctive bright orange-red breast, face, and throat, contrasting with a brown back and whitish belly. Juveniles are speckled brown without the red plumage. They are widely distributed across Europe, parts of western Asia, and northern Africa. While some northern and eastern populations are migratory, many in western and southern Europe are resident year-round. Known for their melodious song, robins are fiercely territorial, with both sexes defending their territories vigorously through song and aggressive displays. They often approach gardeners, seeking worms unearthed by digging. 2.5 Flash (Edited) Nine subspecies are recognised. Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) 📷: Photo by Gruendercoach via Pixabay https://pixabay.com/photos/robin-bird-animal-feathers-plumage-8455523/ WKAG

🌍 European robin (Erithacus rubecula) #EurasianBirds #EuropeanBirds #AsianBirds #AfricanBirds | #EuropeanRobin #Robin #ErithacusRubecula | #Robins #Flycatchers #OldWorldFlycatcherFamily #PerchingBirds 📷: Photo by Gruendercoach🦜 #MyBirdcards #birdsoftheworld #birds

🌍🌏 Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris) The Fieldfare is a large thrush, bigger than a blackbird, with a distinctive blue-grey head, chestnut-brown back, and a speckled, reddish-washed breast. Its underwings are conspicuously white in flight. Fieldfares breed in northern Europe and the Palearctic, with many populations overwintering in Southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. They are widely distributed across open countryside, farmland, and hedgerows, avoiding major urban areas and higher ground. They are highly social, forming flocks of tens to hundreds, often with Redwings. They forage on the ground, hopping purposefully, and feeding on berries, fruit, and invertebrates. Their characteristic harsh "chack-chack" call is often heard in flight. 2.5 Flash (Edited) No subspecies are recognised. Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) 📷: Photo by leszekhus via Pixabay https://pixabay.com/photos/bird-beak-feathers-plumage-8821486/ BKSP

Name This Bird! I'm a large, colourful thrush, often seen in open fields and farmland across much of Europe and Asia. My head and rump are grey, my back is chestnut brown, and my breast is speckled with black spots on an orange-buff background. I breed across Northern Europe and the Palearctic. Overwinter many of us fly further south, and are often seen foraging in large, noisy flocks. When alarmed, I let out a distinctive "chack-chack" call. What bird am I? ... The Fieldfare ( Turdus pilaris)

🌍🌏 Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris) #EurasianBirds #EuropeanBirds #AsianBirds #MiddleEasternBirds #AfricanBirds | #Fieldfare #TurdusPilaris | #Fieldfares #Thrushes #ThrushFamily #PerchingBirds 📷: Photo by leszekhus🦜 #birdsoftheworld #birds

🌍🌏 Common starling (Sturnus vulgaris) The common starling is a medium-sized bird, appearing black with a glossy green and purple iridescence up close. In winter, they are covered in bright white spots. Juveniles are grey-brown. They are widely distributed across Eurasia, and introduced in North America, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, thriving in urban, suburban, and agricultural areas. Common starlings are highly gregarious and noisy. They forage on the ground for insects and fruit. Famous for their aerial "murmurations"—large, coordinated flocks performing intricate displays at dusk—they are also known for mimicking other bird calls and squabbling at feeders. 2.5 Flash (Edited) Around twelve subspecies are recognised. Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) 📷: Photo by TheOtherKev via Pixabay https://pixabay.com/photos/starling-bird-perched-lampost-5011486/ BKDW

🌍🌏 Common starling (Sturnus vulgaris) #EurasianBirds #EuropeanBirds #AsianBirds #AfricanBirds | #CommonStarling #EuropeanStarling #SturnusVulgaris | #Starlings #StarlingFamily #PerchingBirds 📷: Photo by TheOtherKev🦜 #birdsoftheworld #birds

🌍🌏🌎 Ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres) The ruddy turnstone is a stocky shorebird, about 21-26 cm long, with bright orange legs and a stout, slightly upturned black bill. Its plumage is a distinctive harlequin-like pattern of chestnut, black, and white in breeding season, becoming duller grey-brown and mottled in winter. In flight, it shows striking white wingbars and a white rump. Highly migratory, it breeds in Arctic Eurasia and North America, then winters on coastlines almost worldwide, favouring rocky shores, sandy beaches, and mudflats. Its name comes from its characteristic feeding behaviour: flipping over stones, shells, and seaweed with its bill to uncover insects, crustaceans, and other small invertebrates. They can be seen individually or in small groups, sometimes with other waders. 2.5 Flash (Edited) Two subspecies are recognised. Conservation status: Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1) 📷: Photo by paulbr75 via Pixabay https://pixabay.com/photos/ruddy-turnstone-water-nature-1553360/ IHAT

🌍🌏🌎 Ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres) #CosmopolitanBirds #EurasianBirds #AfricanBirds #AustralasianBirds #AmericanBirds | #RuddyTurnstone #ArenariaInterpres | #Turnstones #SandpiperFamily #WadingBirds #WaterBirds 📷: Photo by paulbr75🦜 #birdsoftheworld #birds

🌍 European bee-eater (Merops apiaster) The European bee-eater is a richly coloured, slender bird, about 27-29 cm long, with a black beak, brown and yellow upperparts, and green wings. Sexes are similar, though females may have greener shoulders. They breed in southern and central Europe, northern and southern Africa, and western Asia, preferring open country near sandy banks for nesting. Most populations are migratory, wintering in tropical Africa, but a resident population exists in southern Africa. Highly gregarious, European bee-eaters nest colonially in self-dug tunnels in sandy banks. They feed and roost communally, often catching insects, especially bees, wasps, and hornets, in flight. Before consumption, they remove the sting by striking the insect against a hard surface. 2.5 Flash (Edited) Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) 📷: Photo by makamuki0 via Pixabay https://pixabay.com/photos/bee-eater-abellerol-bird-3388890/ HQMZ

🌍 European bee-eater (Merops apiaster) #EurasianBirds #EuropeanBirds #AsianBirds #AfricanBirds | #EuropeanBeeEater #MeropsApiaster | #BeeEaters #BeeEaterFamily 📷: Photo by makamuki0🦜 #birdsoftheworld #birds

🌍 European pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) The European pied flycatcher is a small, migratory passerine. Males are strikingly black and white during breeding, with white underparts, bold wing patches, and a forehead patch. Females are duller, exhibiting brown and white plumage. They breed across most of Europe and Western Palearctic, favouring mature woodlands (especially oak) and tree cavities, readily using nest boxes. They winter in tropical West Africa. Behaviourally, they are insectivorous, darting from perches to catch flying insects. Males establish territories and can be polygynous, often attracting multiple mates. They are nocturnal migrants and their song is a distinctive, rhythmic sound. 2.5 Flash (Edited) Three subspecies are currently recognised. Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) 📷: Photo by jggrz via Pixabay https://pixabay.com/photos/pied-flycatcher-8109963/ AOHP

🌍 European pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) #EurasianBirds #EuropeanBirds #AsianBirds #AfricanBirds | #EuropeanPiedFlycatcher #PiedFlycatcher #FicedulaHypoleuca | #Flycatchers #OldWorldFlycatcherFamily #PerchingBirds 📷: Photo by jggrz🦜 #birdsoftheworld #birds

🌍🌏 White wagtail (Motacilla alba) The white wagtail is a small and slender bird, with distinctive grey, black, and white plumage. Its most recognizable feature is its long, constantly wagging tail. It has a vast distribution, breeding across Europe, Asia, and parts of North Africa, with some populations in Alaska. While resident in milder areas, many northern populations are migratory, wintering in Africa and southern Asia. White wagtails are highly active and often found in open areas, frequently near water or human habitation. They forage on the ground with a characteristic bobbing head and tail movement. 2.5 Flash (Edited) Up to eleven subspecies are recognised. Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) 📷: Photo by IstvánKopeczny via Pixabay https://pixabay.com/photos/bird-feathers-wings-wagtail-8047639/ LYPB

🌍🌏 White wagtail (Motacilla alba) #EurasianBirds #EuropeanBirds #AsianBirds #AfricanBirds | #WhiteWagtail #MotacillaAlba | #Wagtails #WagtailFamily #PerchingBirds 📷: Photo by IstvánKopeczny🦜 #birdsoftheworld #birds

🌍🌏 Little owl (Athene noctua) The little owl, also known as the owl of Athena or owl of Minerva, is a small, plump owl, about 22 cm long, with a flat head, short tail, and striking yellow eyes beneath white "eyebrows" giving a stern expression. Its plumage is mottled brown and white. It is widely distributed across Europe, Asia, and North Africa, favoring open country like farmland, parkland, and orchards. Primarily crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk) but often seen during the day, perched on posts or trees. They hunt small mammals, insects, and invertebrates, often swooping from a perch. Little owls are territorial and cavity-nesting, with males performing head-bobbing displays during courtship. Thirteen subspecies are recognised. 📷: Photo by Alpcem via Pixabay https://pixabay.com/photos/owl-perched-animal-bird-wildlife-6466676/ JRQG

🌍🌏 Little owl (Athene noctua) #EurasianBirds #EuropeanBirds #AsianBirds #AfricanBirds | #LittleOwl #OwlOfAthena #OwlOfMinerva #AtheneNoctua | #Owls #TrueOwlFamily #BirdsOfPrey 📷: Photo by Alpcem🦜 #birdsoftheworld #birds

🌍🌏 Eurasian bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) The Eurasian bullfinch is a stocky bull-headed finch. Males boast a striking bright pinkish-red breast and cheeks, contrasting with a black cap, grey back, and black wings and tail, offset by a prominent white rump. Females are duller, with a grey-pink breast and brown back. They are widely distributed across Europe and temperate Asia, favouring woodlands, hedgerows, and gardens with dense cover. While generally resident, northern populations may migrate south in winter. Often shy and elusive, their presence is frequently betrayed by their soft, melancholic "peu" whistle. They feed primarily on seeds and buds, particularly fruit tree buds in spring, and are often seen in pairs or small family groups. They form monogamous pair bonds, often lasting for multiple years. Ten subspecies are recognised. Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) 📷: Photo by jLasWilson via Pixabay https://pixabay.com/photos/bullfinch-bull-finch-bird-colourful-1399025/ ZKZX

🌍🌏 Eurasian bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) #EurasianBirds #EuropeanBirds #AsianBirds | #EurasianBullfinch #CommonBullfinch #PyrrhulaPyrrhula | #Bullfinches #Carduelinefinches #Finches #TrueFinchFamily #PerchingBirds 📷: Photo by jLasWilson🦜 #birdsoftheworld #birds

🌍🌏 Black-winged stilt (Himantopus himantopus) The black-winged stilt, or common stilt, is a graceful wading bird with strikingly long pink legs, a slender black bill, and variable black and white plumage. It has a broad distribution, inhabiting shallow wetlands like marshes, lagoons, and salt pans across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Stilts are often seen wading in shallow water, probing for aquatic invertebrates. They are social birds, sometimes forming small groups, and are known to be very protective of their nests and young, actively mobbing potential predators. Some populations are migratory, moving to coastal areas in winter, while others are resident in warmer regions. Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) 📷: Photo by ignartonosbg via Pixabay https://pixabay.com/photos/bird-black-winged-stilt-ornithology-9418032/ KIKY

🌍🌏 Black-winged stilt (Himantopus himantopus) #EurasianBirds #EuropeanBirds #AsianBirds #AfricanBirds | #BlackWingedStilt #CommonStilt #HimantopusHimantopus | #BlackWingedStilts #Stilts #AvocetFamily #WadingBirds #WaterBirds 📷: Photo by ignartonosbg🦜 #birdsoftheworld #birds

🌍🌏 Bearded reedling (Panurus biarmicus) The bearded reedling is a small, orange-brown bird with a long tail, often seen flying low over reedbeds. Males sport a distinctive grey head and black "moustache," while females are paler with a brownish head. They are found in temperate Europe and across the Palearctic, favouring large reedbeds by freshwater or brackish wetlands. These social birds forage in groups, communicating with characteristic "ping" calls. Bearded reedlings nimbly feed near water, sometimes upside down, and run quickly on the ground searching for insects in summer, switching to seeds in winter. Three subspecies are recognised. Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) 📷: Photo by HenkvanDorp via Pixabay https://pixabay.com/photos/bearded-reedling-bird-animal-6380106/ NVRD

🌍🌏 Bearded reedling (Panurus biarmicus) #EurasianBirds #EuropeanBirds #AsianBirds | #BeardedReedling #BeardedTit #BeardedParrotbill #PanurusBiarmicus | #Reedlings #Tits #Parrotbills #BeardedReedlingFamily #PerchingBirds 📷: Photo by HenkvanDorp🦜 #birdsoftheworld #birds

🌍🌏 Whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus) The whooper swan, also known as the common swan, is a large, striking white swan found across a large part of Eurasia, with a long, erect neck and black legs. Its black bill features a prominent triangular yellow patch. During winter, whooper swans are social, forming flocks in wetlands, estuaries, and fields, feeding on aquatic plants, and grains. They are vocal, with a distinctive "whooping" call. In flight, they often form a 'V' shape. They are monogamous, and pairs engage in courtship displays. Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) 📷: Photo by Lancier via Pixabay https://pixabay.com/photos/white-swan-swan-pond-bird-7767369/ VFFQ

🌍🌏 Whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus) #EurasianBirds #EuropeanBirds #AsianBirds | #WhooperSwan #CommonSwan | #Swans #DuckFamily #WaterBirds 📷: Photo by Lancier🦜 #birdsoftheworld #birds

🌍🌏 Western jackdaw (Coloeus monedula) The western jackdaw, also known as the Eurasian jackdaw or the European jackdaw is a characterful bird belonging to the crow family. It is known for its distinctive black plumage, gray nape, and pale eyes. Jackdaws are highly social and often form large flocks, nesting in tree cavities or buildings. They are opportunistic omnivores, feeding on a variety of foods including insects, fruits, seeds, and carrion. The Western jackdaw is found across Europe, Western Asia, and parts of North Africa, where it is commonly seen in urban, suburban, and rural habitats. Four subspecies are recognised. Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) 📷: Photo by Didgeman via Pixabay https://pixabay.com/photos/jackdaw-crow-raven-bird-bird-watch-3747346/ GNPV

🌍🌏 Western jackdaw (Coloeus monedula) #EurasianBirds #EuropeanBirds #AsianBirds #AfricanBirds | #WesternJackdaw #EurasianJackdaw #EuropeanJackdaw | #Jackdaws #CrowFamily #PerchingBirds 📷: Photo by Didgeman🦜 #birdsoftheworld #birds

🌍 Red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio) The red-backed shrike is a small, carnivorous bird that is known for its striking appearance and predatory behavior. The male (pictured) has a distinctive red-brown back, hence its name, with a black mask extending across its eyes. Its underparts are pale and its tail is black and long. The female is less vibrant, with a grayish-brown back and fainter mask. Red-backed shrikes primarily inhabit open woodlands, scrublands, and grassy areas across Europe and parts of Asia. They migrate to tropical and southern Africa for the winter. Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) 📷: Photo by Kodl68 via Pixabay https://pixabay.com/photos/shrike-bird-animal-feathers-8973601/ FNDB

🌍 Red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio) #EurasianBirds #EuropeanBirds #AsianBirds #AfricanBirds | #RedBackedShrike #LaniusCollurio | #TypicalShrikes #Shrikes #PerchingBirds 📷: Photo by Kodl68🦜 #birdsoftheworld #birds