Science Department Collection

Bird Collection: Female Tufted Duck

This female Tufted Duck is part of our Science Department Collection.

Scientific name: Aythya fuligula

The tufted duck is a medium-sized diving duck, smaller than a mallard. It is black on the head, neck, breast and back and white on the sides. It has a small crest and a yellow eye. In flight it shows an obvious white stripe across the back of the wing.

It breeds in the UK across lowland areas of England, Scotland and Ireland, but less commonly in Wales, with most birds being residents. Numbers increase in the UK in winter because of birds moving to the UK from Iceland and northern Europe.

Bird Collection: Sandwich Tern

This Sandwich Tern is part of our Science Department Collection.

Scientific name: Sterna sandvicensis

The Sandwich tern is a very white tern, with a black cap on its head, a long black bill with a yellow tip and short black legs. In flight it shows grey wedges on its wings tips and it has a short forked tail. In the UK, many of the important colonies survive because they are on nature reserves.

Bird Collection: House Martin

This House Martin is part of our Science Department Collection.

Scientific name: Delichon urbicum

The house martin is a small bird with glossy blue-black upper parts and pure white under parts. It has a distinctive white rump with a forked tail and, on close inspection, white feathers covering its legs and toes. It spends much of its time on the wing collecting insect prey. The bird's mud nest is usually sited below the eaves of buildings. They are summer migrants and spend their winters in Africa.

Although still numerous and widespread, recent moderate declines earn them a place on the Amber List.

Bird Collection: Moorhen

This Moorhen is part of our Science Department Collection.

Scientific name: Gallinula chloropus

Moorhens are blackish with a red and yellow beak and long, green legs. Seen closer-up, they have a dark brown back and wings and a more bluish-black belly, with white stripes on the flanks.

Bird collection: Greenshank

This Greenshank is part of our Science Department Collection.

Scientific name: Tringa nebularia

A medium-sized slim wader with a dark grey back and white underparts. Its long green legs and slightly up-turned bill help to distinguish it from other waders. It calls regularly and is seen singly and in small groups.

Bird Collection: Blackcaps

These male and female Blackcaps are part of our Science Department Collection.

Scientific name: Sylvia atricapilla

The blackcap is a distinctive greyish warbler, the male has a black cap, and the female a chestnut one. Its delightful fluting song has earned it the name 'northern nightingale'. Although primarily a summer visitor birds from Germany and north-east Europe are increasingly spending the winter in the UK.

Bird Collection: Swift

This Swift is part of our Science Department Collection.

Scientific name: Apus apus

The swift is a medium-sized aerial bird, which is a superb flier. It evens sleeps on the wing! It is plain sooty brown, but in flight against the sky it appears black.

It has long, scythe-like wings and a short, forked tail. It is a summer visitor, breeding across the UK, but most numerously in the south and east. It winters in Africa.

Bird Collection: Siskin

This Siskin is part of our Science Department Collection.

Scientific name: Carduelis spinus

The siskin is a small, lively finch, which is smaller than a greenfinch. It has a distinctly forked tail and a long narrow bill. The male has a streaky yellow-green body and a black crown and bib. There are yellow patches in the wings and tail.

It is mainly a resident breeder from southern England to northern Scotland, but is most numerous in Scotland and Wales. Many breeding birds are residents; in winter birds arrive here also from Europe.

Bird Collection: Red-breasted Merganser

This Red-breasted Merganser is part of our Science Department Collection.

Scientific name: Mergus serrator

These diving ducks belong to the sawbill family, so called because of their long, serrated bills, used for catching fish. Their diet of fish such as salmon and trout has brought them into conflict with game fishermen. At home on both fresh- and saltwater, red-breasted mergansers are most commonly seen around the UK's coastline in winter.

They are gregarious, forming flocks of several hundred in the autumn.

Bird Collection: Twite

This twite is part of our Science Department Collection.

Scientific name: Carduelis flavirostris

The twite is a small, brown finch closely related to the linnet, but with a longer tail and stubbier bill. Its back is tawny, heavily streaked with dark brown and is white below with dark-brown streaks on its flanks. The rump is pink on males but brown on females. Like the linnet, it feeds on seeds year-round.

Bird Collection: White-fronted Goose

This White-fronted Goose is part of our Science Department Collection.

Scientific name: Anser albifrons

The white-fronted goose is a grey goose, bigger than a mallard and smaller than a mute swan. Adults have a large white patch at the front of the head around the beak and bold black bars on the belly. The legs are orange and Siberian birds have pink bills, while Greenland birds have orange bills.

This species does not breed in the UK. Two races visit the UK in winter - birds which breed in Greenland and birds which breed in Siberia. The current wintering areas need protection, including avoiding drainage of traditional wintering areas in southern England.

Bird Collection: Lapwing

This Lapwing is part of our Science Department Collection.

Scientific name: Vanellus vanellus

Also known as the peewit in imitation of its display calls, its proper name describes its wavering flight. Its black and white appearance and round-winged shape in flight make it distinctive, even without its splendid crest.

This familiar farmland bird has suffered significant declines recently and is now a Red List species.

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