Kingbird, Rosy Starling,Great Grey...

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Vintage-Views Antique Prints and Maps :: Antique Prints :: Natural History :: Ornithology :: Kingbird, Rosy Starling,Great Grey Shrike,Barn Swallow,Yellowhammer,1894 Original Antique Wood Engraving

Kingbird, Rosy Starling,Great Grey Shrike,Barn Swallow,Yellowhammer,1894 Original Antique Wood Engraving

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Old World sparrows in the family Passeridae. Sparrows are small passerine birds. The differences between sparrow species can be subtle. In general, sparrows tend to be small plump brownish or greyish birds with short tails and stubby powerful beaks. They are primarily seed-eaters, though they also consume small insects. A few species scavenge for food around cities, and like gulls or pigeons will happily eat virtually anything in small quantities. The Old World true sparrows are found indigenously in Europe, Africa, and Asia. In Australia and the Americas, early settlers imported some species which quickly naturalised, particularly in urban and degraded areas. House Sparrows, for example, are now found throughout North America, in every state of Australia except Western Australia, and over much of heavily populated parts of South America. Some authorities also classify the closely related estrildid finches of the equatorial regions and Australasia as members of the Passeridae. Like the true sparrows, the estrildid finches are small, gregarious, and often colonial seed-eaters with short, thick, but pointed bills. They are broadly similar in structure and habits, but tend to be very colourful and vary greatly in their plumage. About 140 species are native to the old world tropics and Australasia. Most taxonomic schemes list the estrildid finches as the separate family Estrildidae, leaving just the true sparrows in Passeridae. American sparrows, or New World sparrows, are not closely related to the true sparrows, despite some physical resemblance, such as the seed-eaters bill and frequently well-marked heads. They are in the family Emberizidae. The Hedge Sparrow or Dunnock (Prunella modularis) is similarly unrelated. It is a sparrow in name only, a relic of the old practice of calling any small bird a "sparrow". There are 35 species of Old World sparrows, in four genera. PRINT SHOWS: * TYRANNUS CAROLINENSIS -Kingbird:. A small American bird (Tyrannus tyrannus, or Tyrannus Carolinensis), noted for its courage in attacking larger birds, even hawks and eagles, especially when they approach its nest in the breeding season. It is a typical tyrant flycatcher, taking various insects upon the wing. It is dark ash above, and blackish on the bead and tail. The quills and wing coverts are whitish at the edges. It is white beneath, with a white terminal band on the tail. The feathers on the head of the adults show a bright orange basal spot when erected. Called also bee bird, and bee martin. Several Southern and Western species of Tyrannus are also called king birds. * PASTOR ROSEUS - The Rosy Starling, or Rose-coloured Starling, Sturnus roseus (occasionally treated as Pastor roseus) is a passerine bird in the starling family Sturnidae. The breeding range of this bird is from easternmost Europe across temperate southern Asia. It is a strong migrant, and winters in India and tropical Asia. In India in winter, it often appears to outnumber the local starlings and mynas. This is a bird of steppe and open agricultural land. In years when grasshoppers and other insects are abundant, it will erupt well beyond its core range, with significant numbers reaching France and the UK. This is a colonial breeder, and like other starlings, is highly gregarious, forming large winter flocks. It also shares the other species' omnivorous diet, although with a preference for insects. The adult of this species is highly distinctive, with its pink body, legs and bill, and glossy black head, wings and tail. The juvenile can be distinguished from Common Starling, Sturnus vulgarus by its obviously paler plumage and short yellow bill. The song is a typical starling mixture of squeaks and rattles, given with much wing trembling. * LANIUS EXCUBITOR - The Great Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor) is a member of the shrike family. The Great Grey Shrike breeds in northern Europe, Asia and in North America in northern Canada and Alaska, where it known as Northern Shrike. It is migratory and winters further south in those continents, to, for example, Great Britain and the northern USA. Wintering birds usually arrive in October and November. As a rule they are then solitary, and when several arrive simultaneously they speedily spread out, each establishing its hunting territory and reducing competition with others. * RUPICOLA CROCEA * MOTACILLA ALBA - Common and widespread resident, retreating from the north of Scotland in winter. The continental race (White Wagtail) is a regular passage migrant. Unmistakable with its bold black, grey and white plumage and long, frequently wagged tail. Male (illustated) has black back, while females is slate grey. The continental race, White wagtail, is much greyer. * HIRUNDO RUSTICA - The Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) is a small migratory passerine bird found in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. It has a long, deeply forked tail and curved, pointed wings. It is often just called Swallow in Europe, although the term 'swallow' refers more widely to various members of the family Hirundinidae. The nominate European subspecies H. r. rustica has dark blue-black upperparts, off-white underparts and a small patch of red on the throat, with a broad dark blue-black breast band separating the red throat from the off-white underparts. It breeds in Europe and western Asia, as far north as the Arctic Circle, and migrating to Africa in winter. * CHELIDONARIA URBICA - The House Martin (Delichon urbica) is a migratory passerine of the family Hirundinidae. The European range of the House Martin roughly corresponds with that of its relative the Barn Swallow, and it also winters in tropical Africa. The adult House Martin is steel-blue above with a white rump, and white underparts; even its short legs and toes have white downy feathering. Its bill is black. The young bird is sooty black, and some of the coverts and quills have white tips and edgings. The white rump of the House Martin, very noticeable in flight, should prevent confusion with either the Swallow or Sand Martin. The first Martins arrive in Europe a few days after the Swallows, but it is often late in April before distribution is general. * MOLOTHRUS PECORIS - This Bird is entirely brown, the Back being darkest, and the Breast and Belly the lightest part of it. In Winter they associate with the Red-wing'd Starling and Purple Jack-daw in Flights. They delight much to feed in the Pens of Cattle, which has given them their Name. * COCOTHRAUSTUS VULGARIS * EMBERIZA CITRINELLA - The Yellowhammer, Emberiza citrinella, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae. It breeds across Europe and much of Asia. Most birds are resident, but some far northern birds migrate south in winter. It is common in all sorts of open areas with some scrub or trees. In the winter they gather together to from small flocks of birds. The Yellowhammer is a robust 15.5-17cm long bird, with a thick seed-eater's bill. The male has a bright yellow head, yellow underparts, and a heavily streaked brown back. The female is much duller, and more streaked below.

Published for Joseph Meyer Meyers Konversations

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SKU	0527802k6
Quantity in stock	1 item(s) available
Price:	US$15.00

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