30 Common Garden Birds Descriptions

Ornithology Exam 2026

Robin

Distinctive red chest. Small bird. Brown head, wings and back. Grey inbetween chest and wings/head/back.

Blackbird

Small bird. Fully black. Normal length slightly thinner sized yellow beak.

Blue Tit

Small bird. Round body. Blue head with white on the cheeks and around the eyes that is broken up by a horizontal dark blue line. Yellow body with a dark mark in the middle of the chest.

Chaffinch

Orange face, chest and abdomen. Grey top and back of head. Dark brown and grey wings with some patches of white. Shorter wider dull coloured beak.

Great Tit

Round bird. Mostly black head with white cheeks. Yellow body with black stripe down the middle of the chest. Dark grey/yellow wings with a white stripe.

Magpie

Larger bird, long tail feathers. Dark proportionate beak. Black head, chesy and back. White belly and shoulders. Iridescent blue wings and tail feathers.

Goldfinch

Red centre face, white cheeks and black outer perimeter of face. Light brown back and shoulders. Black lower wings with a gold coloured stripe. Light yellow/white chest and abdomen.

House Sparrow

Small bird. Thick beak. Black around the eyes and a line of black down the chin to upper chest. Reddish brown back of head that nearly touches the eyes. Light brown/greyish chest and abdomen. Mixed light brown and black colouring on the wings.

Song Thrush

Small bird. Has a dark brown and white speckled chest and abdomen. Has a rich nearly orangish brown on top of head, back and wings.

Redpoll

Has a red crest on the top of the head.

Goldcrest

Has a vibrant gold coloured crest at the top of the head.

Sparrow Hawk

Has the physical look of a bird of prey.

Mistle Thrush

Mid sized bird. Has a dark brown and white speckled chest and abdomen. Has a pale/greyish brown colour on the back of head, back and wings

Blackcap

Has a noticable black coloured top of head.

Starling

Small bird. Dark colouring all over with multicoloured iridescent colouring throughout. Black proportional beak.

Collared Dove

Has the same shap as a pigeon with lighter nearly white colouring that darkens at the tips of the wings and tail feathers. Has a dark grey ring aroundthe neck that doesn’t connect at the front.

Wren

Small bird. Small narrow beak with a bit of yellow colouring. has a motled light brown colouring all around that darjens closer to wing tips and lightens around the chest area and just on the eyebrow area.

Coal Tit

Small round bird. Small black beak. Blak head with white cheeks. Has a dull light brown/grey/ slightly yellow body. Has grey wings with a white stripe and bits od whiet peeking through.

Dunnock

Small bird. Reddish brown speckled with dark brown colouring on back, wings, top of head and cheeks. Small black beak. Orangish legs.

Rook

Large Bird. Black all over. Large beak with light grey/beige colouring.

Feral Pigeon

Mid/large bird. Dark grey head and neck with greeny/purpley iridescent colouring on the neck and upper chest area. Orange eyes. Lighter grey colour on body. Wings are mostly light grey with some darker grey stripes and gradually darker grey at tips of wings and end of tail feathers. Pinky coloured feet.

Wood Pigeon

Large/mid sized bird. Grey head, back and wings. Yellow/orange coloured beak. White patches with some grey/greeny parts at either side of neck, may connect at the back. Slightly lighter more brown/grey colour on chest and abdomen.

Greenfinch

Has a thick pale beige coloured beak. Yellow/Greenish colouring on head, body and shoulders. Has grey wings with a bright path of yellow on the edge of the wing.

Hooded Crow

Large bird. Slightly large black beak. Has a black head, chest area and wings. Has a grey abdomen, and back.

Linnet

Small bird. Short looking thick grey/beige beak. Has long tail feathers relative to it’s body. Has a rich chestnut brown face, back and wings. Has a grey/brown back of head and cheeks. Can have a red chest with/or a light brown and dark brown striped/motled chest and abdomen.

Pied Wagtail

Very small bird. Has a white face and abdomen. Has a black top of head and chin/upper chest area. Has a black/dark grey back. Has black/dark grey and white striped wings.

Long Tailed Tit

Very small round bird. Has a quite noticably long tail relative to it’s body. Has a light brown coloured face with black striped from the eyes to the back of the head. Chest and abdomen is a light brown colour. Back is a darker brown that gets darker into the wings. Wings also have black along the edges. Tail feathers are black in the middle and white on the edges.

Bull Finch

Has a very thick black beak. Has a black eye area, forhead and top of head. Has light orange cheeks, chest area and abdomen. Has a grey back and black wings that have a grey stripe.

Siskin

Has a black top of head and forhead area. Has yellow cheeks and chest area. Has black and yellow striped wings. Has white and black striped bottom.

Jackdaw

Large/mid sized bird. Has a black face, body and wings. Has a dark grey back of head and back of neck area. Has light grey coloured eyes.