La Basse Cour: B&B near Alencon, Normandy

Normandy Garden Birds

Normandy Birdwatching Guide to France North of the Loire

Garden Birds at "La Basse Cour" North of the Pays de la Loire

Garden Birds of Normandy and Pays de la Loire

La Basse Cour B&B Bird Spotting Books for Visitors to Normandy Crozier's Birds crozier Collins European Bird Guidecollins
Feathered Visitors to la Basse Cour

Name in French
(name in English)
Latin name
Size
Season

Frequency of sighting
*** frequent
** occasional
* rare

Roitelet huppé

(Goldcrest)

Regulus regulus

9cm

Jan-Dec

*

bird

Play goldcrest call

Troglodyte mignon

(Wren)

10cm

Jan-Dec

***

bird

Play wren call

Pouillot véloce

(Chiffchaff)

Phylloscopus collybita

11cm

Spring-summer

**

bird

bird

Pouillot fitis

(Willow Warbler)

Phylloscopus trochilus

11cm

Mar-Nov

**

bird

Play willow warbler call

Mésange Bleue

(Blue tit)

Parus caeruleus

12cm

Jan-Dec

***

bird

Play blue tit call

Mésange Noire

(Coal tit)

Parus ater

12cm

Jan-Dec

*

bird

Play coal tit call

Mésange Nonnette

(Marsh tit)

Parus palustris

12cm

Jan-Dec

*

bird

Tarin des aulnes

(Siskin)

Carduelis spinus

12cm

Jan-Dec

***

bird

Play siskin call

Grimpereau des jardins

(Short-toed Treecreeper)

Certhia brachydactyla

12cm

Jan-Dec

*

bird

Chardonneret

(Goldfinch)

Carduelis carduelis

13cm

Jan-Dec

***

bird

Play goldfinch call

Sittelle torchepot

(Nuthatch)

Sitta europaea

12-14cm

*

bird

 

Mésange à longue queue

(Long-tailed Tit)

Aegithalos caudatus

14cm

Jan-Dec

**

bird

Play long-tailed tit call

Accenteur mouchet

(Dunnock)

Prunella modularis

14cm

Jan-Dec

***

bird

Play dunnock call

Rouge-gorge

(Robin)

Erithacus rubecula

14cm

Jan-Dec

***

bird

Play robin call

Rouge-queue noir

(Black redstart)

Phoenicurus ochrurus

14cm

Mar-Oct

***

bird

Rouge-queue à front blanc

(Redstart)

Phoenicurus phoenicurus

14cm

Apr-Oct

*

redstart

Fauvette à tête noire

(Blackcap)

Sylvia atricapilla

14cm

Apr-Oct

*

bird

Mésange Charbonnière

(Great Tit)

Parus major

14cm

Jan-Dec

***

bird

Play great tit call

Bruant des Roseaux

(Reed Bunting)

Emberiza schoeniclus

15cm

Jan-Dec

***

bird

bird

Moineau Domestique

(House Sparrow)

Passer domesticus

15cm

Jan-Dec

***

bird

bird

Verdier

(Greenfinch)

Carduelis chloris

15cm

Jan-Dec

***

bird

Play greenfinch call

Pinson des Arbres

(Chaffinch)

Fringilla coelebs

15cm

Jan-Dec

***

bird

bird

Play chaffinch call

Pinson du Nord

(Brambling)

Fringilla montifringilla

15cm

Jan-Dec

*

bird

bird

Play brambling call

Gobe-mouche gris

(Spotted Flycatcher)

Muscicapa striata

15cm

Apr-Sep

*

bird


Play Flycatcher call

Martinet noir

(Swift)

Apus apus

16cm

May-Aug

***

bird

bird

Play swift call

Hirondelle de fenêtre

(House Martin)

Delichon urbicum

15cm

Mar-Aug

***

bird

Bouvreuil pivoine

(Bullfinch)

Pyyrhula pyrrhula

16cm

Jan-Dec

*

bird

Martin-pêcheur

(Kingfisher)

Alcedo atthis

17cm

Jan-Dec

***

bird

Bergeronnette Grise

(White Wagtail)

Motacilla alba

18cm

Mar-Nov

***

bird

Not the same as the pied wagtail, which has black back

Bergeronnette des ruisseaux

(Grey Wagtail)

Motacilla cinerea

18cm

Jan-Dec

**

bird

Gros-bec casse-noyaux

(Hawfinch)

Coccothraustes coccothraustes

18cm

Jan-Dec

*

bird

Hirondelle rustique

(Barn Swallow)

Hirundo rustica

19cm

Mar-Oct

***

bird

bird

Play swallow call

Chevalier guignette

(Common Sandpiper)

Actitis hypoleucos

20cm

Jun-Aug

 

*

bird

Only when passing through

Etorneau sansonnet

(Starling)

Sturnus vulgaris

22cm

Jan-Dec

***

bird

Pic épeiche

(Greater Spotted Woodpecker)

Dendrocopus major

23cm

Jan-Dec

**

bird

Play greater spotted woodpecker call

Grive musicienne

(Song Thrush)

Turdus philomelos

23cm

Mar-Oct

*

bird

Slightly smaller than a blackbird

Play song thrush call

Merle Noir

(Blackbird)

Turdus merula

25cm

Jan-Dec

***

bird

bird

Play blackbird call

Grive draine

(Mistle thrush)

Turdus viscicorus

27cm

Jan-Dec

***

bird

Slightly larger than a blackbird

Play mistle thrush call

Grèbe castagneux

(Little grebe)

Tachybaptus ruficollis

25-30cm

Mar-Sept

***

bird

Breeding since 2010

Pic Vert/Pivert

(Green Woodpecker)

Picus viridis

32cm

Jan-Dec

***

bird

Often seen picking for ants in the lawn

Faucon Crécerelle

(Kestrel)

Falco tinnunculus

31-37cm

Jan-Dec, nests behind barn

***

bird

bird

Chouette hulotte

(Tawny Owl)

Strix aluco

38cm

Jan-Dec

***

bird

Play tawny owl call

Tourterelle turque

(Collared Dove)

Streptopelia decaocto

32cm

Jan-Dec

***

bird

Play collared dove call

Pigeon biset

(Feral Town Pigeon)

Columba livia f. domestica

33cm

Jan-Dec

**

bird

Coucou

(Cuckoo)

Cuculus canorus

33cm

Mar-Oct

**

bird

Frequently heard in spring and summer, harder to see!

Geai des chênes

(Jay)

Garrulus glandularius

34cm

Jan-Dec

**

bird

Poule d'eau

(Moorhen)

Gallinula chloropus

35cm

Jan-Dec

***

bird

Epervier d'Europe

(Sparrowhawk)

Accipiter nisus

30-35cm

Jan-Dec

*

bird

Occasionally perches in apple tree or on barn

Pigeon Ramier

(Wood pigeon)

Columba palustris

40cm

Jan-Dec

***

bird

Play wood pigeon call

Foulque macroule

(Coot)

Fulica atra

36-42cm

*

bird

Pie Bavarde

(Magpie)

Pica pica

45cm

Jan-Dec

***

bird

Corbeau Freux

(Rook)

Corvus frugilegus

47cm

Jan-Dec

*

bird

Corneille Noire

(Carrion Crow)

Corvus corone

47cm

Jan-Dec

***

bird

Canard Mandarin

(Mandarin Duck)

Aix galericulata

41-49cm

*

bird

bird

Fuligule morillon

(Tufted duck)

Aythya fuligula

40-47cm

*

bird

bird

Fuligule milouin

(Pochard)

Aythya ferina

42-49cm

*

bird

 

Faisan de Colchide

(Pheasant)

Phasianus colchicus

80cm

Jan-Dec

*

bird

bird

Colvert

(Mallard)

Anas platyrhynchos

55-60cm

Jan-Dec, breeding since 2009

***

bird

bird

Buse variable

(Buzzard)

Buteo buteo

55cm

Jan-Dec

***

bird

Often seen in flight or perching on fences

Héron Pourpré

(Purple Heron)

Ardea purpurea

80-90cm

Jun - Sept

*

bird

bird

Grande Aigrette;

(Great White Egret)

Ardea alba

80-100cm

Summer

*

egret

egret

Héron Cendré

(Grey Heron)

Ardea cinerea

90-100cm

Jan-Dec

***

bird

bird