File:Britain's birds and their nests (1910) (14753048854).jpg

Identifier: britainsbirdsthe00thom (find matches)
Title: Britain's birds and their nests
Year: 1910 (1910s)
Authors: Thomson, Arthur Landsborough, Sir, 1890- Thomson, J. Arthur (John Arthur), 1861-1933 Rankin, George
Subjects: Birds -- Great Britain Birds -- Nests
Publisher: London : W. & R. Chambers
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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nt, and our native birdsare almost certainly sedentary, there is a certain amountof autumnal immigration on our eastern seaboard; but thisdoes not appear to affect the numbers of the speciesexcept in a few coastal districts. On remote St Kildathe Wren has, through its sedentary habits and the isola-tion of the place, diverged somewhat from the normalmainland type. Before the facts were very well knownthe St Kilda Wren (T. hirtensis) was considered adistinct species; but nowadays we do not deem it worthyof such isolated rank, but prefer to call it a mere localrace. The differences in plumage are not great, and thehabits appear to be identical, apart from the choice ofnesting-sites and other matters directly influenced by thenature of the environment of the island form. Under mainland conditions the choice of nesting-sitesvaries very much. Sometimes a tree is chosen, more oftena thick bush or hedge, and very frequently some shelteredbank, some ivy-clad, tumble-down wall, or the thatched
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^jj^ 7ejr)^<: /^ Plate 103, WREN — Troglodyies parviclus. Length, 3-5 in. ; wing, i-g in. (Passeres : Troglodytidas.)2 K 292 BRITAINS BIRDS AND THEIR NESTS. 293 roof of a cottage. The nest itself is large for the sizeof the bird, and is completely covered over, the openingbeing in the side. It is made of moss and leaves, andsometimes dry grass, and may have a lining of feathers.Incomplete nests, popularly termed cocks nests, arefrequently found near the real one. The eggs are markedwith reddish spots, and are normally from six to eightin number; the much larger clutches sometimes recordedmay be the produce of more than one hen, A singlepair rears two broods in a season. The Wren is mainlyinsectivorous, but in winter it has to take many differentkinds of food. At that season it habitually resorts to oldnests and other sheltered roosting-places. A bird at once so common and so easily recognised hasnaturally many popular names, such as Jenny Wren; and,on the other hand, the term Wre

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