#817: Warbler

Like many bird Families, Warblers can be divided up into New World, Old World and Australian, with none of the types being especially closely related to the others. Generally speaking, Warbler are passerines characterised by their diminutive stature, relatively dull colourations and musical voices.

The Old World Warblers are spread across Asia, Africa and Europe. Once considered part of one Family, they are now divided into a multitude and this fellow, the Willow Warbler, is one of the "leaf warbler" Family. All species are insectivorous, and the Willow Warbler hawks his food in flight.  Other species may glean them from the canopy.

#812: Wagtail

The Wagtails are a Genus of passerine songbirds, characterised by their long tails, which he wags conspicuously and constantly. The eleven species are spread across the Old World. The willie wagtail of Australia displays similar behaviour but is not related. Wagtails follow a diet of insects, and often forage near water. This fellow is a Pied Wagtail, in his summer plumage. He is widespread across Europe, Asia and parts of North Africa. 

#796: Vermilion Flycatcher

The Vermilion Flycatcher is a small and brightly coloured passerine found in the lower North American states and Central America. True to his name, he feeds mostly on insects, which are snapped from the air, although he has been observed catching small fish. Only the male is the bright and vivid red, the female is rather more drab. This allows her camouflage as she incubates their 2-3 eggs.

#723: Starling

Whilst there are quite a few different species of Starling, the most widely known is the European Starling, aka the "rat with wings". The European Starling is native to Europe, but has been introduced across the world for pest control, as he enjoys a diet of grubs and insects. However, he has become the pest in America (North and South), Australia, South Africa, Fiji, New Zealand and a number of other islands. Firstly, Starlings are flock birds, gathering in large numbers to decimate crops. They are also colony breeders and nest in cavities, which leads to them taking up residence in the eaves of houses. In the UK and Ireland, Starlings are on the decline and they are a protected species.

If you live in North America, you can blame Willian Shakespeare for the Starling. They were introduced to New York because the American Acclimitization Society wanted to introduce all birds mentioned in Shakespeare's plays. They now range from Alaska down to Central America.

Only three birds make the "top #100 invasive pests" list, and they are the Common Starling, the Indian Mynah and the Red-vented Bulbul.

If anyone has any tips on how to dissude starlings from nesting in your house's roof cavities, please let me know. We are currently playing landlord to at least three starling families and whilst I can cope with the scratching noises and the shrilling chicks, I do not really wish to encourage this continued behaviour due to the mess and other potential damage.

Creature Feature #536: ʻōʻō

The Hawaiian ʻōʻō was a beautiful nectivorous songbird, endemic to the Hawaiian islands. There were four distinct species, occupying separate islands. The largest measured around 30 cm from head to tail. He was generally considered to be related to the Australian honey-eaters and shared a similar diet - drinking the nectar from flowers. Genetic research has since shown them to be distinctly different, and any similiarities a result of convergent evolution, where unrelated species develop similar traits to fill similar niches.

 The arrival of humans on the islands marked the beginning of the end for the ʻōʻō. Birds on Oahu and Hawai'i were hunting extensively for their yellow feathers, which were worn by nobility. Deforestation claimed their land, rats claimed their nestlings, and like many Hawaiian birds, they proved vulnerable to the introduction of bird malaria. The first to become extinct was the Oahu ʻōʻō in 1837, the Bishops ʻōʻō of Molokai following in 1904 and the Hawaiian ʻōʻō hanging on until the last confirmed sighting in 1937. The smallest, the Kaua'i ʻōʻō survived a little longer - mongoose never made it to that island - being declared extinct then rediscovered on several occasions, but surveys in 1987 found no evidence of their continued existence.

The ʻōʻō, like the huia and oh-so-many beautiful, unique birds, is an example how isolated populations can be extremely vulnerable to outside pressures, especially when they have evolved without the addition of natural land predators. Neither New Zealand nor Hawaii had any mammalian predators until humans came and brought with them the rats and mice, mongoose (Hawaii) and mustelids (New Zealand).

Creature Feature #438: Lyrebird

The Lyrebird might resemble a pheasant, but he is a member of the songbird family. And quite the songbird he is! Male Lyrebirds are superb mimics, constructing elaborate performances to attract a mate. These include the mimicking of other birds, different mammals and even human noises - like chainsaws - interwoven with his own vocalisations. The male is also characterised by his dramatically long tail feathers, which resemble a lyre, these make up part of his courtship display. After luring and mating with the female, she is left alone to lay a single egg within a large, untidy nest, incubate it for 50 days and raise the chick alone.