The theme of this year’s Heritage Open Days is Hidden Nature. We’re taking a look at the birds scattered around the Royal Pavilion. Duck for cover Enter the Music Room and your eyes will rest on many a stunning detail, … Continued
September highlights a member of the tubenose family. UK conservation status: Amber Fulmars are not gulls; they are part of the tubenose family (which includes albatrosses). The tube on top of their beak is used to discharge excess salt. Salt … Continued
August’s bird of the month is the white stork, which is in keeping with this month’s theme in our Climate Conversations series: Solutions. This year is an exciting one for white storks in Sussex. You may have already seen or … Continued
Keep a look out for Bullfinch, Pyrrhula pyrrhula this month. UK conservation status: Amber Bullfinch pairs stay near to each other all year round, not only when they are nesting and raising young. The male has a bright chest, while … Continued
As many of us continue to stay local in our wanderings, the ‘patch’ becomes newly relevant. A patch will mean different things to different people, but the general idea is it’s a place you can visit repeatedly to observe wildlife. … Continued
June’s bird of the month is the Nightjar, Caprimulgus europaeus. UK conservation status: Amber Nightjars migrate to the UK during April and May. They leave for their wintering grounds in sub-Saharan Africa in August and September. The nightjar is a … Continued
This month is the perfect time to keep an eye out for Swifts, Apus apus. UK conservation status: Amber The joy of May begins again, as swifts start screaming into our skies. They return from sub-Saharan Africa and stay only … Continued
Saturday 9th May 2020 is World Migratory Bird Day. There seems to be a day for everything now, but these birds deserve recognition for their incredible annual journeys. There are thousands of species of bird that migrate with changing seasons around … Continued
For the month of April, the Booth encourages you to look out for the Goldcrest, Regulus regulus, in your garden, in the park (if you’re exercising at an appropriate distance from others), or even the view from the window of … Continued
The Tawny Owl Strix aluco is the focus for the Booth Museum this month. UK conservation status: Amber Tawny owls are woodland birds, their feather patterns offer good camouflage during the day when they roost in trees. You may catch … Continued
February’s bird of the month is the Ptarmigan Lagopus muta UK conservation status: Green Lagopus means hare-foot, which describes their feathery legs. Ptarmigan comes from the Scottish Gaelic ‘tarmachan’, meaning to croak. The ‘p’ was added later in the mistaken idea … Continued
To start the new year, the Booth Museum take a look at the Woodcock Scolopax rusticola. UK conservation status: Red Woodcocks are classed as wading birds, however, as the name suggests, they spend much of the time in woodland, hiding … Continued
December’s bird is the Crested oropendola, Psarocolius decumanus. Oropendolas forage in groups, looking for fruit and insects. They can use their beaks to prise open clusters of dead leaves. This ability to powerfully open, rather than close, their beaks only occurs … Continued
The Booth focus on the Long-tailed paradise whydah, Vidua paradisaea, for November Whydahs are brood parasites, like the European cuckoo, though they do not destroy the host’s eggs. Whydah chicks are larger and louder than the host’s, which means they … Continued
Flowerpeckers are October’s Bird of the Month. Flowerpeckers are tiny birds that occur in Australasia and southern Asia. The genus Dicaeum contains over 40 species. The pygmy flowerpecker is only 10cm long, while the largest is the mottled flowerpecker at 18cm. The … Continued
For September, the Booth focus on the Greater prairie chicken, Tympanuchus cupido Conservation status: vulnerable The greater prairie chicken is actually a grouse. It is also known as a boomer, due to the sound made by the males during the … Continued
The Chaffinch, Fringilla coelebs, is the Bird of the Month for August. Chaffinches are one of the UK’s commonest birds. They were originally woodland birds, though they are now often seen in gardens. Chaffinch numbers increase during the winter in … Continued
July’s Bird of the Month is Tachybaptus ruficollis or Little Grebe. The little grebe, also known as a dabchick, is the smallest grebe in the UK. It has a darker summer plumage, with a red neck. In winter it is … Continued
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