ID Guide

Woodland Birds

Wiltshire’s woodlands support a diverse array of bird species. Notable in the woods are Nuthatches, Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Woodcock and in suitable areas Nightjars. Here, and in some water meadows, Nightingales, though fewer in number, still sing and the voice of the Turtle Dove can sometimes be heard.

Download our Woodland Birds ID guide to take with you and identify the species you see; don't forget to send us in any sightings either via our on-line recording form, or download a sightings form that you can print out and take with you.

Chiffchaff - Phylloscopus collybita This small olive-brown bird is often seen actively flitting through trees and hedgerows, with a distinctive tail-wagging movement. It is easily identified by its high pitched song as its actually sings its name; a high pitched ‘chiff’ followed by a lower pitched ‘chaff’.

Nightingale - Luscinia megarhynchos Arriving in April to woodlands where there is plenty of cover provided by dense undergrowth such as bramble or blackthorn thickets, the nightingale’s song is well known and can be heard from April to June. The song is often the only way to identify a nightingale as it is very shy and secretive making it hard to spot.

Nutchatch - Sitta europaea Best seen in mature woodlands on the sides of tree trunks and undersides of branches the nuthatch is blue-grey on top with a buff underparts and reddish flanks, with chestnut under its tail. It‘s black eye stripe and long black pointed bill make it easy to spot. Gripping the trunk with one foot and bracing itself with the other, nuthatches hop up and down tree trunks. It places nuts such as acorns in cracks in the bark and then hammers them open with its powerful bill.

Treecreeper- Certhia familiaris As their name suggests they can often be seen using their large claws and stiff, long tail to scurry up and down tree trunks high up in forest and woodlands. They make short hops with both feet at once, and use their tails as a prop. Small and very active they have long, slender, down curved bill with a speckled brown back and a white belly. Best looked for on the trunks of trees as they hunt for insects.

Jay - Garrulus glandarius Some of the most colourful members of the crow family, jays are actually quite difficult to see. They’re very shy woodland birds and often heard rather than seen as they greet woodland ‘intruders’ with a raucous, scolding call. They are much easier to spot in autumn as they rely heavily on acorns for winter food which they store along with berries, beech-nuts and fruit. .

Tawny owl - Strix aluco These nocturnal birds have the best known call of all bird, the familiar ’to-whit-to-woo’ can be clearly heard at night across woodlands. Their large size, and dark face and eyes are it’s main points of identification. Due to their brown colouring above they are well camouflaged amongst the trees. Tawny owls have a ring of dark feathers around their faces surrounding their dark eyes.

Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus Kestrels can often be seen hovering in mid-air above a hunting ground. It’s amazing how the bird manages to stay in one place in the air whilst studying the ground below. Also seen sitting on fence posts and in the branches of trees. It nests mainly in hollow trees and old crow’s nests. The mail has a grey tail with a black tip.

Great spotted woodpecker - Dendrocopos major With its striking plumage the Great Spotted Woodpecker is easy to recognise with it’s black and white colouring, but most noticeable is the bright red patch under its tail which is in contrast to the pure white underparts. Early evening or morning is the best time to see the Great Spotted Woodpecker as it clings to tree trunks and branches, but is often heard rather than seen - listen for the drumming sound on dead tree boughs during the spring.

Red Kite – Milvus milvus The subject of one of the world’s longest running conservation projects’, the Red Kite is a conservation success story. Now beginning to return to parts of Wiltshire, its distinctive shape and graceful flight make it an instantly recognisable bird. While the female is slightly larger than the male they share identical reddish brown plumage with eye-catching white patches on the underside of the wings and a grey head and throat.

Bullfinch - Pyrrhula pyrrhula The Bullfinch is resident and quite widespread. Mostly seen in trees and hedges in family groups they are quite timid birds and don’t often come to ground. Even though they are quite shy the males are easy to spot as they are brightly coloured. Both the males and females have a stubby bill, a distinctive black face and cap, white barring on the wings, white rump and bluish grey upperparts, but that is where the similarity between the sexes end. Males are much more brightly coloured with striking bright red underparts where the females are duller with pinkish brown underparts.

Song thrush - Turdus philomelos The Song Thrush can be seen year round, a telltale sign are broken snail shells around an 'anvil' type stone where the thrush has broken the shell to get out the snail on which it then feeds. The Song Thrush has sandy brown upperparts and creamy underparts with obvious dark brown spots; its wings are chestnut coloured along with its tail that is quite short. It is a small upright bird at just 23cm in length. They require trees and bushes with areas of open grassland and moist soil with a plentiful supply of invertebrate food.

Tree Sparrow - Passer montanus Tree Sparrows are easily distinguishable from the House Sparrow as it is smaller and has a chestnut brown head rather than grey. Males and females are similar in appearance and probably most identifiable by their white cheeks and collar with a black cheek-spot and black bib. Their upperparts are brown with black streaks with a chestnut crown and nape, underparts are off-white and they have a short, black stubby bill.

Don’t forget to send us any records of your sightings, along with any photos or stories