Photos copyright: VM/monacoeye • Treviso, Italy • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Spotted Flycatcher
Latin: Muscicapa striata
Other: Gobe-Mouche Gris (Fr) • Pigliamosche (It)
Family: Muscicapidae • Flycatchers

A nice picture of a Spotted Flycatcher above sent in by Valerie from her garden in Italy. Note the faintly streaked chest and head and slightly lighter supercilium. Otherwise not much in the way of prominent features.

While most birds cannot distinguish between their own eggs and others, the Spotted Flycatcher can discriminate well. This suggests it was once parasitised by the Cuckoo but successfully adapted its defence though egg recognition.

I saw half a dozen Spotted Flycatchers in the Danube Delta region, particularly near the coastal area - numbers have reportedly fallen off in the UK.More photos...

Photos: VM/monacoeye • Treviso, Italy • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Common Redstart
Latin: Phoenicurus phoenicurus
Other: Redstart • Rouge-queue à front blanc (Fr) • Codirosso (It)
Family: Muscicapidae • Flycatchers

Above, lovely bright colours of the male Common Redstart in northern Italy, from Valerie.More photos...

Photo copyright: VM/monacoeye • Do not copy • Image: Treviso, Italy

Bird name: European Goldfinch
Latin: Carduelis carduelis
Other: Goldfinch • Chardonneret élégant (Fr) • Cardellino (It)
Family: Fringillidae • Finches

Many thanks to Valerie for sending in the above photo of a Goldfinch in her garden in northern Italy.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Italy - Romania • May 2009

Bird name: Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Latin: Passer montanus
Other: Moineau friquet (Fr)
Family: Passeridae • Sparrows

The Tree Sparrow is far less common than the similar House Sparrow and can be easily differentiated by the small patch of black on its cheek and wholly rufous top of head. Also found throughout Europe and much of Asia.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Italy - Croatia • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Eurasian Jay
Latin: Garrulus glandarius
Other: Jay • Geai des chênes (Fr)
Family: Corvidae • Jays

The Eurasian Jay, a beautiful bird, is widespread throughout Europe, and beyond into Asia and Africa, but rather shy so frustratingly difficult to photograph, or even observe with the naked eye.

The Jay has striking blue stripes on the wing, a black moustachial stripe, and streaked top of head.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • France • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Common Magpie
Latin: Pica pica
Other: European Magpie • Pie bavarde (Fr)
Family: Corvidae • Magpies

The Magpie is the one bird that everyone (in Europe) can recognise immediately. It is found throughout Europe and much of Asia and northwest Africa. Common in most locations, throughout the year.

It is large, black and white, with some blue on wing. The only other magpie in Europe is the Azure-winged Magpie, found in Spain.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • NW Italy • Feb 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Common Chaffinch
Latin: Fringilla coelebs
Other: Pinson des Arbres
Family: Fringillidae - Finches

The Chaffinch is one of the more common birds along the Cote d’Azur, especially in the winter.

The Chaffinch has a flat haircut, forming an angle at the back of the head.The female Chaffinch does not have the pink and blue colouring of the male, but both can be recognised by their characteristic wing markings, which form a white “T”. Similar looking to the Brambling.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Danube Delta + • November 2009

Bird name: Mute Swan
Latin: Cygnus olor
Other: Cygne tuberculé • Cygne muet • Cigno reale (It) • Cigno bianco
Family: Anatidae • Swans

Does everyone know the Mute Swan? It’s certainly what most people know as a swan in the UK and much of Europe, but its range only extends a little further into Asia. I wonder if it has been introduced around the world.

Anyway, it is familiar as the large white swan with orange bill and black knob. As can be seen below, the young are mottled brown with dark bill. Large numbers can be found in the Danube Delta in Romania, but they are also common in pairs on lakes and rivers in the UK, France, Italy etc.

More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Lake Garda Italy May 2009

Bird name: Italian Sparrow
Latin: Passer italiae
Other: Passer hispaniolensis • Italiensperling (De)
Family: Passeridae • Sparrows

The Italian Sparrow is sometimes considered a subspecies of Spanish Sparrow or hybrid with House Sparrow.

The male has a full chestnut cap and white cheeks like the Spanish Sparrow but a pale belly without black spotting, so unlike the Spanish Sparrow in that respect.

The female (below) looks like the female House Sparrow, but identified here by proximity to males.

Some photos of courtship below in “more photos”. She pecks him on the head, they both bow and display plumage.

These photos were taken by Lake Garda in Northern Italy, a typical location.

More photos...

Photos copyright: monacoeye • Europe • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Eurasian Coot
Latin: Fulica atra
Other: Coot • Foulque Macroule • Focha Común • Blässhuhn • Folaga • Galeirão-Comum
Family: Rallidae • Coots • Rails

The Coot is probably the bird you are most likely to see near a lake or slow waterway in Europe, after the Mallard.

Easy to identify from its bobbing head movement and white shield that extends from the bill, which on closer inspection can be slightly pinkish. Plumage generally appears black.

There are about 11 Coot species worldwide, mostly in South America. The Eurasian Coot is the only one you are likely to see in Europe, though the Red Knobbed Coot can be found in southwest Spain.

The Coots are parts of the Rail family, which includes the larger Moorhen, which has a red bill with yellow tip, and is often seen in the same riverside habitat.

Notice the long lobed toes, even on the Coot chick, seen in Geneva, in June. The photo of several hundred on a lake was taken in the Camargue in January.More photos...

Photos copyright: monacoeye • Nice, France • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Common Moorhen
Latin: Gallinula chloropus
Other: Moorhen • Common Waterhen (UK) • Common Gallinule (US) • Gallinule Poule d'Eau (Fr) • Teichralle (De) • Polla Gris (Es), Polla de Agua, Pollona Negra, Gallareta Común, Tiqui, Taca-taca, Gallineta • Galinha-d'água, Frango-d'água (Pt)
Family: Rallidae • Coots • Rails

The Moorhen, or Common Gallinule as it’s known in the US, with its distinctive red beak with yellow tip, is found on most continents, and is thus probably the most common Rail outside of Europe. Rails are aquatic birds but Moorhens' toes are not lobed, unlike Coots.More photos...

Photos copyright: monacoeye • Ventimiglia • Mar 2009 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: White Wagtail
Latin: Motacilla alba
Other: Bergeronnette Grise (confusingly !)
Family: Motacillidae • Wagtails

This White Wagtail is quite a common bird all along the coast, especially near water.More photos...

Photos copyright: monacoeye • Etang de Villepey St Aygulf • May 2009 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Great Reed Warbler
Latin: Acrocephalus arundinaceus
Other: Rousserolle turdoïde (des rivières)
Family: Sylviidae • Old World Warblers

Pleased to observe this Great Reed Warbler in Hyeres at the weekend. It alerted us to its presence by its loud song and soon appeared to collect bedding material for its nest in the reeds from the salt lake. Later it flew to a high point and started singing loudly. Quite a large bird, about the size of a starling.More photos...

Bird name: Purple Heron
Latin: Ardea purpurea
Other: Héron pourpré
Family: Ardeidae • Herons

Photos: monacoeye • Ventimiglia • May 2009

The Purple Herons have reappeared in the last few weeks. This was one of a pair seen in Ventimiglia at the weekend - I’ve also seen them in NiceMore photos...

Bird name: Mediterranean Gull
Latin: Larus melanocephalus
Other: Ichthyaetus melanocephalus
Family: Laridae • Gulls

Photo: monacoeye • Monaco • Mar 2009

Photo: March 2009, CamargueMore photos...

Bird name: Black Headed Gull
Latin: Larus ridibundus
Other: Chroicocephalus ridibundus • Laughing Gull
Family: Laridae • Gulls

Photo: monacoeye • Camargue • March 2009More photos...

Bird name: Bar Headed Goose
Latin: Anser indicus
Other: Oie à tête barrée (Fr) • Oca indiana (It)
Family: Anatidae • Subfamily Anserinae • Geese

Photo: monacoeye • NW Italy • Dec 2008More photos...

Bird name: Domestic Goose
Latin: Anser anser domesticus
Other:
Family: Anatidae • Subfamily Anserinae • Geese

Photo: monacoeye • SE France • Jan 2009

I believe (but am not sure) that these are Domestic Geese, or mixtures of Domestic Geese and their wild counterparts, Greylay Geese. Less sure about the white one - taken in Brazil.More photos...

Bird name: Brambling
Latin: Fringilla montifringilla
Other: Pinson du Nord
Family: Fringillidae - Finches

Photo: monacoeye • SE France • Feb 2009

The Brambling is a winter visitor to southern Europe, migrating from Northern breeding grounds. A female is pictured above, distinguished from the Chaffinch principally by its orange upper chest.More photos...

Bird name: Mallard
Latin: Anas platyrynchos
Other: Canard Colvert
Family: Anatidae - Ducks

Photos: monacoeye • Camargue • January 2009More photos...

Bird name: Gadwall
Latin: Anas strepera
Other: Canard Chipeau
Family: Anatidae - Ducks

Photos: monacoeye • Camargue • January 2009More photos...