Birds of Huddersfield
By E. J. C. Swabey & E. W. Aubrook

Page Four of Eleven

BIRDS AROUND HUDDERSFIELD

Order GALLIFORMES
Family TETRAONIDAE – the Grouse
Genus Lagopus Briss.

RED GROUSE, Lagopus scoticus scoticus (Lath)
Resident, moorlands.

Family PHASIANIDAE – the Pheasants
Genus Alectoris Kaup

RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE, Alectoris rufa rufa (L.)
Resident, rare. Eland 15 October 1939. Believed to breed in the district at the present time. A bird was picked up in Westgate, Huddersfield on 3 April 1956, and transferred to the Aviary in Ravensknowle Park.

Genus Perdix Briss.

PARTRIDGE, Perdix perdix (L.)
Resident, uncommon.

Genus Coturnix Bonn.

QUAIL, coturnix coturnix coturnix (L.)
Summer resident, rare. A nest with twelve eggs was accidentally destroyed near Holme in 1947; a male was killed by a cat at Rawthorpe Green on 1 June 1951.

Genus Phasianus L.

PHEASANT, phasianus colchicus L.
Resident, common where protected.

Order RALLIFORMES
Family RALLIDAE – the rails
Genus Rallus L.

WATER-RAIL, Rallus aquaticus aquaticus L.
Winter visitor, rare. One was killed by telegraph wires, Bark Island, 31 March 1946. Another was shot near Huddersfield early in 1950.

Genus Porzana Vieill.

BAILLON’S CRAKE, Porzana pusilla intermedia (Hermann)
Irregular visitor. One from Kirkheaton, 29 May 1874.

CORNCRAKE, Crex Crex (L.)
Summer visitor, rare. Formerly bred in the district; nesting appears to have last taken place in the area at Shepley about 1947. A corncrake was heard at Dalton, May 1952, and remained for several weeks; one was killed by wires in the area, 18 August 1952.

Genus Gallinula Briss.

MOORHEN, Gallinula chloropus (L.)
Resident, locally common.

Genus Fulica L.

COOT, Fulica atra atra L
Visitor, rare. Brownhill Reservoir, 2 April 1952; Blackmoorfoor Reservoir, several, December 1957 – March 1958.

Order CHARADRIIFORMES
Family HAEMATOPODIDAE – the Plovers
Genus Haematopus L.

OYSTERCATCHER, Haematopus ostralegus ostralegus L.
Passage migrant. Blackmoorfoot Reservoir, 1920; Elland, 15 April and 25 August 1943.

Genus Vanellus Briss.

LAPWING, Vanellus vanellus (L.)
Resident, locally common.

Genus Charadrius L.

RINGED PLOVER, Charadrius hiaticula hiaticula L.
Passage Migrant. Ringstone Edge, 1939; Elland Sewage Works, 1940; Blackmoorfoot Reservoir, August 1957.

GREY PLOVER, Charadrius squatarola (L.)
Passage migrant, rare. Ringstone Edge, 14 September 1940.

GOLDEN PLOVER, Charadrius apricarius apricarius L.
Resident, uncommon, breeds fairly frequently. Winter flocks of golden plover have been observed on several occasions in the Kirkheaton district.

DOTTEREL, Charadrius morinellus L.
Irregular visitor, rare. Two in the Tolson Memorial Museum shot on Scholes Moor many years ago; two at Lindley, 21 May 1914.

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