Woodlark (Lullula arborea)

OTHER NAMES: Wood Lark
Latin Etymology: Lullula (diminutive from French onomatopoeia "lulu") arborea ("of a tree")

Adult Woodlark (subspecies L. a. arborea) at Thursley Common - April 2013

Featured Subspecies: Lullula arborea arborea
Weight: 24-36g  /  Length: 13.5-15cm  /  Wingspan: 27-30cm
UK AMBER LIST  / IUCN Red List Least Concern

The Woodlark is one of the few UK bird species which is a heath specialist, and thus far rarer than it's most similar relations, the Skylark.  It is however a much "stubbier" bird that the Skylark with a shorter body and tail without the notable crest of the skylark.  The also have a different song to the iconic one of the skylark while still be "lark" enough to be identifiable as such.  I heard this bird on my first visit to Thursley Common, but it wasn't until the second that I actually managed to catch sight of it.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Alaudidae
Genus: Lullula
Subspecies: L. a. arborea, L. a. pallida

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Scarce and local breeding species (3,100 pairs)

 - Birds seen and heard at Thursley Common in April 2013.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus)

OTHER NAMES: Redstart

Latin Etymology: Phoenicurus ("crimson tailed") phoenicurus ("crimson tailed")

Adult male Common Redstart (subspecies P. p. phoenicurus) at  Cold Ashby, Northants - April 2022

Featured Subspecies: Phoenicurus phoenicurus phoenicurus

Weight: 11-23g  /  Length: 13-14.5cm  /  Wingspan: 23-26cm

UK AMBER LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Generally known just as the "Redstart" in the UK (the Black Redstart being only a modern coloniser after all) this is a species with a generally westerly bias to it's range in the UK, associating more with birch and oak woodland that most British woodland birds.  However, there are exceptions and there are also sites in the South East in which it can be found such as Thursley common.  It has a lot of overlap with the Robin in it's diet and behaviour, but unlike that species is a Summer migrant, and thus can also be found on passage, sometimes in small numbers together - such as the three females I saw together in the grounds of Alexandra Palace in September 2015.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Muscicapidae
Genus: Phoenicurus
Subspecies: P. p. phoenicurus, P. p. samamisicus

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A local but fairly numerous Summer breeding migrant (100,000 pairs)

 - Birds seen on breeding territories at Derwent Water and Thursley Commom, and the park surrounding Alexandra Palace on passage

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .