Birds in Turkey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the classical Latin name of the common buzzard (B. buteo). The English name is derived from Old French busard, which is a corruption of the classical Latin name.

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘golden-reddish’, alluding to the mainly rufous plumage of the bird.

 

 

 

 

 

Three subspecies are currently recognized, the nominate northern and African birds, which have a mainly grey bill, Indian birds of subspecies ginginianus with a yellow bill, and finally a separate, larger subspecies, majorensis, in the eastern Canary Islands.

It lives in open areas, nesting on cliffs, less frequently in trees. Besides feeding on carcasses, it is often encountered at rubbish dumps, and it will also prey on small mammals, birds, and reptiles. It is among the few bird species known to use tools. Eggs of other birds, which are too large to break open with the bill, are broken by tossing stones onto them, using the bill.

This species is also in decline over much of its range due to habitat destruction, hunting, poisoning, and collision with power lines.

The generic name stems from the Greek mythology. Neophron and Aegypius were young men and close friends, but it upset Neophron that his mother Timandra was having a love affair with Aegypius. To punish Aegypius, Neophron made advances towards Aegypius’ mother, Bulis. He succeeded and enticed Bulis into entering the dark chamber where his mother and Aegypius were soon to meet. Neophron then distracted his mother, tricking Aegypius into entering the chamber and sleeping with his own mother. When Bulis discovered the deception, she gouged out the eyes of her son before killing herself. Aegypius prayed for revenge, but Zeus, instead of helping him, changed both young men into vultures as a punishment.

The specific name is derived from the Greek perknos (‘dark-coloured’) and pteron (‘wing’).

In ancient Egypt, the bird was held sacred to the Moon God Isis, and its protection by Pharaonic law made it common in the streets, giving rise to the name pharaoh’s chicken.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from the Latin galerum (‘cap’) – not a very descriptive name for larks with a crest!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many members of the family are presented on the pages Fishing, and Animals – Birds: Birds in Taiwan.

 

The generic name is the classical Latin word for herons.

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘ash-coloured’.

Other pictures, depicting this bird, are shown on the pages Fishing, Animals – Birds: Birds in Taiwan, Birds in the Indian Subcontinent, and Animals: Urban animal life.

In America, it is replaced by the similar, slightly larger great blue heron (A. herodias), presented on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in the United States and Canada.

 

 

 

 

 

The word stork originates in Ancient Germanic sturkoz.

 

The generic name is the classical Latin word for storks.

 

Previously, the similar, but larger and black-billed oriental stork (C. boyciana) of eastern Asia was regarded as a subspecies of the white stork.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek spilos (‘spot’) and peleia (‘dove’), referring to the spots on the neck of the spotted dove.

 

Other names include palm dove and Senegal dove, and in India it is known as little brown dove. The name laughing dove stems from its characteristic cooing, a low, drawn-out croo-doo-doo-doo-doo, somewhat reminiscent of a laughter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek streptos, which literally means ‘twisted’, but in this connection ‘wearing a torque’ (a twisted necklace), alluding to the semi-collar of many members of the genus; and peleia (‘dove’).

Other species, which were formerly placed in this genus, have been moved to the genera Spilopelia (above) and Nesoenas.

 

The cooing of this bird is a rather monotonous, continuously repeated “cuh-coooor-cuh”, which can at times be rather annoying. When I was young and prepared for high school examinations, it was quite hot, so I had to leave a window open. A favourite cooing place of a collared dove was our neighbour’s flag pole, situated about 15 m from my window. Its cooing got so annoying that I had to go out and chase it away, but five minutes later it was back on the pole. Well, I did pass my exams anyway.

Various legends are connected with the specific name, which means eighteen in the Greek, from deka (ten) and okto (eight). One legend relates that when Christ was carrying his cross towards Golgotha, a Roman soldier took pity on him, noticing that he was exhausted. By the side of the road, an old woman was selling milk, and the Roman soldier went to her and asked her how much she wanted for a cup of milk. She replied that it would cost eighteen coins. However, the soldier only had seventeen, so he pleaded with her to sell a cupful for seventeen, but the woman refused, and the soldier had to leave without the milk.

When Christ was crucified, the woman was turned into a collared dove and condemned to go around the rest of her days, repeating dekaokto, dekaokto (‘eighteen, eighteen’). If ever she agrees to say dekaepta (‘seventeen’) she will regain her human form, but if she, out of obstination, says dekaenea (‘nineteen’) the world will come to an end.

I wonder how the Greeks managed to make a three-toned call resemble a four-syllable word. But maybe it is pronounced ‘dekokto’?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Numerous members of this family are described on the page Animals – Birds: Corvids.

 

The name raven generally applies to larger species, crow and rook to slightly smaller species. The generic name is the classical Latin word for the raven.

 

The carrion crow is all black, whereas the hooded crow is black with grey or white hind neck, wing covers, and belly.

As it is extensively hunted in most of its distribution area, this crow is usually very wary of people, often fleeing at a considerable distance. In many cities, however, where hunting is banned, crows show little fear of people.

The specific name is a Latinized version of korone, the classical Greek word for crow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, recent genetic research has split the former black-billed magpie into a number of separate species, the common magpie (below), the Maghreb magpie (P. mauritanica) of North Africa, the Asir magpie (P. asirensis) of south-western Saudi Arabia, the Oriental magpie (P. serica) of eastern and southern China, Taiwan, and northern Indochina, the black-rumped magpie (P. bottanensis) of west-central China and the north-eastern Himalaya,and the black-billed magpie (P. hudsonia) of western North America.

The generic name is the classical Latin name of the magpie, whereas the word pie is of Indo-European origin, meaning ‘pointed’, in this case no doubt referring to the long, pointed tail of these birds. The prefix mag dates from the 16th Century, a short form of the name Margaret, which was a term used for women in general. The call of the bird was likened to the chattering of women, and so it was called mag-pie. (Source: etymonline.com/word/magpie)

 

Like the hooded crow, the magpie was formerly a shy bird, fleeing from people at a long distance. Today, however, it is a common breeding bird in cities, where, under normal circumstances, people do not constitute a danger to the birds.

The role of the magpie in folklore is described on the page Animals – Birds: Corvids.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from the Old German name of these birds, Embritz. The origin of the English name is unknown.

 

In central and southern Europe, it has a spotty occurrence, especially so in France, where it was once common. However, as the bird is regarded as a delicacy here, it has declined drastically, despite being protected by law in 1999. In 2007, the French government announced that it intended to enforce the law, which had until then been largely ignored. Whether they succeed or not remains to be seen.

The specific name is derived from the Latin hortulus (‘belonging to gardens’).

Cretzschmar’s bunting (E. caesia) is quite similar, but has a fainter yellow, sometimes orange throat, with less distinctive black streaks. A picture, depicting this species, is shown on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in Africa.

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek melas (‘black’) and kephale (‘head’).

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is a Latinized version of Ancient Greek bukanetes (‘trumpeter’), alluding to the call of the trumpeter finch (below).

 

The specific name refers to the corn-cockle (Agrostemma githago). The connection is obscure.

 

 

 

 

 

In Europe, the term swallow is mainly used for species with forked tails, martin mainly for species with squarish tails. In America, however, the term martin is reserved for members of the genus Progne.

 

The genus may be named for Kekropia, a mythical king of Athens. Jobling (2010) mentions Kekropis, a woman from Athens, without further explanation.

 

The specific name refers to Dauria, a landscape in south-eastern Siberia, in which a nomadic Mongolian tribe, the Dauuri or Daguuri, once lived. Presumably the type specimen was collected there.

Some subspecies of this bird are extremely similar to the striated swallow (C. striolata), which breeds in north-eastern India, southern China, Taiwan, Indochina, and the Philippines, with disjunct populations from Java eastwards to Timor. Striated tends to be a little larger and with less rufous on crown and cheeks, but the two species are very difficult to separate in the field. To me, it is a bit of a mystery why they are not regarded as a single species. Pictures, depicting the striated swallow, are shown on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in Taiwan.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is an anagram of chelidon, a Latinized version of Ancient Greek khelidon (‘swallow’).

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘living in towns’.

Previously, populations further east in Asia were regarded as belonging to this species, but have since been split to form two other species, Asian house martin (D. dasypus) and Siberian house martin (D. lagopodum).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the Latin word for swallow.

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘living in the countryside’.

 

 

 

 

 

Previously, the family was much larger, including bushshrikes, puffbacks, tchagras, boubous, and helmetshrikes. However, genetic research has shown that these groups are not closely related to shrikes. As a consequence, bushshrikes, puffbacks, tchagras, and boubous have been moved to the family Malaconotidae, helmetshrikes to the family Vangidae.

 

The generic name is derived from the Latin lanio (‘butcher’), derived from laniare (‘tearing to pieces’). Shrikes were formerly known as ‘butcher-birds’, referring to their habit of storing prey by impaling it on thorns and sharp twigs, thus resembling a butcher’s slaughterhouse. The name shrike stems from Old English scric, alluding to their call.

 

The specific name supposedly alludes to the chestnut-red colour on crown and nape of the bird, which resembles the colour of the band on the togas of Roman senators.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the classical Greek name of the common bee-eater (below). Originally it meant ‘endowed with speech’, used in poetry to describe articulated people who ‘divided voices’, from meros (‘part’) and ops (‘voice’).

 

The specific name is from apiastra, the classical Latin name of the common bee-eater, derived from apis (‘bee’).

 

 

 

 

 

 

These birds are widely distributed in Europe, Asia, and Africa, with a single species, the northern wheatear (below), also breeding in Greenland and eastern Canada, and in Alaska and western Canada.

The generic name is derived from the Greek oenos ‘wine’ and anthos (‘flower’), alluding to the northern wheatear returning from Africa to Greece in spring, when the grapevines blossom.

The common name is an old folk name of the northern wheatear, meaning ‘white arse’, referring to the conspicuous white rump of the bird.

 

The eastern species/subspecies breeds from southern Italy and the Balkans eastwards through Turkey and the Levant to south-western Kazakhstan and western Iran, wintering in the central and eastern parts of the Sahel zone in Africa, eastwards to the Red Sea.

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek melas (‘black’) and leukos (‘white’), thus ‘pied’.

 

 

 

 

 

The strange thing is that the entire population winters in Africa south of the Sahara. This means that birds from Greenland and eastern Canada cross the Atlantic, a distance of about 3,000 km. Birds from western Canada and Alaska fly all the way across Asia. One should think that evolution had caused some populations to choose other wintering areas, but this is not the case.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek phoinix (‘crimson’) and oura (‘tail’), like the English name referring to the reddish tail of these birds. Start is an old word for tail.

 

The plumage varies considerably, males of the eastern subspecies having a black mask and upper breast, slaty-grey upperparts, and rufous belly and tail, whereas those of the western subspecies are blackish with whitish vent and secondaries, and a rufous tail.

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek okhros (‘pale yellow’) and oura (‘tail’) – an odd name, as the tail of all subspecies is rufous.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Turkey, much hybridization takes place between the house sparrow and the closely related Spanish sparrow (below).

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘belonging to houses’, from domus (‘house’).

Other pictures, depicting this species, may be seen on the pages Animals: Urban animal life, and Nature: Invasive species.

 

 

 

 

 

It is distributed from the Kap Verde and Canary Islands across the Mediterranean and the Middle East to Kazakhstan and Pakistan.

The specific name is derived from Hispania, the classical Latin name of Spain. The type specimen originated from this country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The rock sparrow is distributed in barren rocky areas, from the Canary Islands, the Iberian peninsula, and northern Africa across the Mediterranean and the Middle East to Xinjiang, Mongolia, and northern China. Birds in Central Asia migrate south in the winter, or to lower elevations in montane areas.

The generic and specific names are a local Bolognese name for this bird, stemming from Ancient Greek petros (‘rock’), alluding to its habitat.

 

 

 

 

 

Formerly, it was presumed that the gular sac was a means to store food for several days, but this is not the case. This belief was the cause of a funny limerick, written in 1910 by American poet Dixon Lanier Merritt (1879-1972):

 

 

However, recent DNA research has revealed that the 5 Old World species (great white, Dalmatian, pink-backed, spot-billed, and Australian) form one lineage, whereas the American white, the brown, and the Peruvian form another. The great white was the first to diverge from the common ancestor, which suggests that pelicans evolved in the Old World and later spread into the Americas.

Traditionally, pelicans were thought to be related to cormorants, darters, gannets, frigatebirds, and tropicbirds, but genetic research has shown that they form an order, Pelecaniformes, together with herons, the hamerkop (Scopus umbretta), and the shoebill (Balaeniceps rex).

 

The specific name is a Latinized version of onokrotalos, the classical Greek word for pelicans.

 

 

 

 

 

Numerous cormorant species are presented on the pages Fishing, and Silhouettes.

 

There are 3 subspecies, aristotelis, which breeds along the European Atlantic coasts, desmarestii, which is found along Mediterranean and Black Sea coasts, and riggenbachi, which is restricted to Morocco.

The generic name is Latin, meaning ‘gluttonous’, whereas the specific name honours Greek philospher, historian, and naturalist Aristotle (384-322 B.C.), whose 10-volume work Ton peri ta zoia historion (‘Enquiry concerning animals’, or ‘Historia animalium’) is considered among the beginnings of descriptive zoology. (Jobling, 2010)

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the 1800s, itwas persecuted all over Europe, partly because it was competing with fishermen, partly because its guano destroyed the trees, in which it was breeding. The complete contrast to this persecution is seen in the Far East, where fishermen, for thousands of years, have been using tamed great cormorants for fishing. Pictures, depicting this practice, are found on the page Fishing.

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘charcoal’, naturally alluding to the colour of this bird.

 

 

 

 

 

These birds are characterized by having tubular nasal passages on the upper mandible, to which a gland is attached. When feeding, they invariably swallow a lot of sea water, and surplus salt in their bodies is excreted through this gland.

 

The generic name is based on the English word puffin. This word and its variants, including poffin and puffing, refers to the cured carcasses of fat nestlings of the shearwater, which were regarded as a delicacy in the old days. The word puffin dates back from at least 1337, but during the 1600s, the term was gradually used for another seabird, the Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica). (Jobling, 2010)

The common name was given in allusion to the habit of these birds of flying very low over the water, seemingly ‘shearing’ it with their wing tips.

 

The unusual name of this species is derived from a Turkish word, yelkovan, meaning ‘wind-chaser’.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek sitte, a bird like a woodpecker, mentioned by Greek grammarian Hesychius of Alexandria (5th or 6th Century A.D.), and also by Greek philosopher and scientist Aristotle (384-322 B.C.).

 

The specific name commemorates Austrian naturalist and natural history dealer Franz Neumayer (1791-1842), who lived in Dubrovnik, collecting natural history items in the surrounding area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Greek mythology, the little owl (below) represented or accompanied Athene, the virgin goddess of wisdom. Because of this association, owls were often regarded as a symbol of knowledge and wisdom in the West.

 

The specific name was the Ancient Roman name for this owl, which was sacred to the goddess Minerva, the Roman equivalent for the Greek goddess Athene.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the name used for an unidentified small bird, mentioned by Roman poet Decimus Junius Juvenalis (born about 55 A.D.).

 

It was named in honour of German naturalist and explorer Wilhelm Peter Eduard Simon Rüppell (1794-1884), who collected numerous specimens of plants and animals in Africa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek geron (‘old man’), referring to the bald crown of these birds.

 

Formerly, the ibises in Birecik were held in high esteem, as it was believed that the birds, when on migration, would guide Muslim pilgrims on their Hajj (pilgrimage) towards Mecca. Each spring, a festival would be held to celebrate the return of the birds. Despite this, its decline continued, and in 1972 only 26 pairs were breeding in Birecik.

At this point, a well-known Turkish bird painter, Salih Acar, his wife Belkis, and Udo Hirsch, a young German ethnologist and wildlife photographer, began their struggle to preserve the birds, for example by constructing artificial breeding platforms on the rock face above the town.

Udo Hirsch once said, “Generations ago, the ibises built good, deep nests. Its eggs are very round, not oval, and roll easily. Today, the ibis nests in Birecik are nests only by courtesy. They are flat bunches of twigs, plastic-bags, and grass, and one good kick by a startled adult bird can easily throw an egg out of the nest and right off the ledge. The same is true of nestlings: as they squabble for food, the smallest are often bullied out of the nest, falling 40 feet.”

As it turned out, their efforts bore fruit. In the 1980s, the Turkish National Park Service decided to stop the decline of the ibis by taking all birds into semi-captivity. Two large aviaries were built to house the birds in winter. Each year, they are caught in July or August and kept in the center until March, when they are released to breed in their natural habitat. Some also breed in artificial nests on the rock wall, where the nesting shelves are tipped inward to prevent egg and chick loss. Today, there are well over 100 breeding pairs. (Source: traveltoeat.com/saving-the-northern-bald-ibis-birecik-turkey)

The first description and illustration of a northern bald ibis appeared in Historiæ animalium, Liber III, published in 1555 by Swiss physician and naturalist Conrad Gessner (1516-1565). He named it Corvus sylvatico (‘forest crow’), which in Old German became waldrapp – a name which has stuck to this day.

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek eremía (‘desert’), alluding to the barren habitats of the species.