Redwing
Redwings are often in large flocks and are typically wary and skittish. This is because birds in a flock respond to what others are doing so if one bird flies and gives the alarm, the whole flock is likely to go. This is the main advantage of living in a flock as there are more pairs of eyes looking out for danger. But I have noticed that they are less risk averse in very cold weather when they are hungry, and if you can find an individual bird it can be quite confiding. I was over in Lancashire this week and found this Redwing all by itself, and I managed to get some half decent shots of it at close range.
The scientific name is Turdus iliacus. Turdus is the Latin word for a thrush, whereas iliacus refers to the flanks. In humans the ilium is the widest bone in the pelvis and the iliac artery passes through the pelvis to deliver blood to the legs. You can clearly see the orange flanks here that give rise to the common name Redwing. The red extends under the wings too and is visible when the bird flies like this: www.flickr.com/photos/timmelling/52642315959/in/photolist John Ray used the name Redwing in 1678 in the first British bird book in English (as opposed to Latin). He also used the names Swinepipe and Wind Thrush. Ninety years later Thomas Pennant singled out Redwing and the name has been with us ever since.
Redwing
Redwings are often in large flocks and are typically wary and skittish. This is because birds in a flock respond to what others are doing so if one bird flies and gives the alarm, the whole flock is likely to go. This is the main advantage of living in a flock as there are more pairs of eyes looking out for danger. But I have noticed that they are less risk averse in very cold weather when they are hungry, and if you can find an individual bird it can be quite confiding. I was over in Lancashire this week and found this Redwing all by itself, and I managed to get some half decent shots of it at close range.
The scientific name is Turdus iliacus. Turdus is the Latin word for a thrush, whereas iliacus refers to the flanks. In humans the ilium is the widest bone in the pelvis and the iliac artery passes through the pelvis to deliver blood to the legs. You can clearly see the orange flanks here that give rise to the common name Redwing. The red extends under the wings too and is visible when the bird flies like this: www.flickr.com/photos/timmelling/52642315959/in/photolist John Ray used the name Redwing in 1678 in the first British bird book in English (as opposed to Latin). He also used the names Swinepipe and Wind Thrush. Ninety years later Thomas Pennant singled out Redwing and the name has been with us ever since.