Birds of Britannia
by Thom the Heathen
ミソサザイ（WREN）は大きな鳴声が特徴的な昆虫を食す小鳥だ。その快活な鳴声は変化に富んだ旋律である。
ツバメ（SWALLOW）は尾が二つに分かれているのが特徴的で見分けやすい鳥だ。飛びながらにして昆虫を捕らえ、忙しなく囀る。
ウグイス（WARBLER）は美しい囀りが特徴的で、ミソサザイとツバメの鳴声の長所を併せ持つ多彩な歌い手だ。
ゴジュウカラ（NUTHATCH）は樹中の昆虫を探しつつ頭を下にして木を下ってくる。鼻にかかった鳴き声で一定の旋律を囀る。
すばしこいメリカコガラ（CHICKADEE）は名前通りに「チッカディーディー」と忙しなく囀る。
ツグミ（THRUSH）は胸に斑点のある茶色の鳥だ。ミミズやカタツムリを食し、美しい鳴声を持っている。ツグミは石を鉄床のように扱ってカタツムリの殻を砕く。
小柄なナイチンゲール（NIGHTINGALE）もツグミ同様に美しい鳴声を持つことで知られ、夜中さえ鳴く。
ムクドリ（STARLING）は黄色い嘴の黒っぽい小鳥で、甲高い声で忙しなく囀る。また他の鳥の鳴声を真似ることがある。
ヒバリ（SKYLARK）は飛びながらにして甲高い旋律をを囀り続ける。
アトリ（FINCH）は円錐形の嘴で種を食す小鳥で、声を震わせた旋律で囀る。
イスカ（CROSSBILL）は先端が交差した奇妙な嘴を持つアトリの一種で、その嘴で種を取り出す。
カナリヤ（CANARY）はアトリの一種で、私もよく世話している。鉱夫は洞窟に潜る際、有毒ガスを探知する為に連れてゆく。
スズメ（SPARROW）は草で巣を作り、耳障りにチュンチュンと囀る。
トウヒチョウ（TOWHEE）はスズメの一種だが、その鳴声は茶を飲むことを連想させる。
モズ（SHRIKE）は鉤型の嘴を持つ灰色の鳥だ。餌を枝に突き刺す習性を持っている。
キツツキ（WOODPECKER）の特徴は鋭い嘴だ。木を突き樹中の昆虫を捕まえるに適している。
カワセミ（KINGFISHER）は魚を求めて泳ぎ、その長く鋭い嘴で捕える。
アジサシ（TERN）は毎年、ブリタニアの端から端までの長路を飛ぶ。また、空から水中に舞い降り魚を捕える。
チドリ（PLOVER）は翼を傷めたように振る舞い捕食者の注意を逸らす。
タゲリ（LAPWING）はチドリの一種で、長く黒い冠が特徴だ。
タカ（HAWK）は小鳥、鼠、栗鼠等の小動物を食す。小さいタカはトビ（Kite）として知られている。
ハト（DOVE）は平和を象徴する鳥であり、種を食す。また低音でクークーと鳴く。
オウム（PARROT）は鉤型の嘴を持つ彩やかな鳥で、海賊が好んで旅路の連れとする。人間の声真似ができるのが特徴だ。
カッコウ（CUCKOO）は他の小鳥の巣に卵を産む卑怯な鳥だ。時間感覚にかけては驚異的な能力を持ち、必ず一時間毎に鳴き始める。
ミチバシリ（ROADRUNNER）は長い尾を持つ珍しい鳥で、蜥蜴や蛇を求めて地面を素早く走り回る。
アマツバメ（SWIFT）は非常にすばしこい鳥で、生涯を空中で過ごす。口を大きく開き、空中を舞う昆虫を捕えるのだ。
ハチドリ（HUMMINGBIRD）はアマツバメと妖精とのあいのこだ。この鮮やかな小鳥は花々の間をを魅惑的に舞い、花の蜜を吸って生活する。
フクロウ（OWL）は賢い鳥であり、他と異なり夜行性だ。優れた夜間視力を持ち低音でホーと鳴く。そして静かに空を舞うのだ。
ヨタカ（GOATSUCKER）はフクロウに似た奇妙な鳥で、山羊の乳を飲むという。夜間耳障りな音をたてるのだが、それがNightjarという別名の由来なのである。
アヒル（DUCK）は飛ぶ事よりも泳ぎが得意な鳥で、クワッと鼻にかかった声で鳴く。
ハクチョウ（SWAN）は長い首を持つアヒルの一種で、純白の鳥だ。日頃鳴くことはないのだが、非常に美しい鳴声を持っているのだという。
The SWALLOW is easily recognized by its forked tail. Swallows catch insects in flight, and have squeaky, twittering songs.
The WARBLER is an exceptional singer, whose extensive songs combine the best qualities of Wrens and Swallows.
The NUTHATCH climbs down trees headfirst, searching for insects in the bark. It sings a repetitive series of notes with a nasal tone quality.
The agile CHICKADEE has a buzzy "chick-a-dee-dee" call, from which its name is derived. Its song is a series of whistled notes.
The THRUSH is a brown bird with a spotted breast, which eats worms and snails, and has a beautiful singing voice. Thrushes use a stone as an anvil to smash the shells of snails.
The little NIGHTINGALE is also known for its beautiful song, which it sings even at night.
The STARLING is a small dark bird with a yellow bill and a squeaky, high-pitched song. Starlings can mimic the sounds of other birds.
The SKYLARK sings a series of high-pitched melodious trills in flight.
The FINCH is a small seed-eating bird with a conical beak and a musical, warbling song.
The CROSSBILL is a kind of Finch with a strange crossed bill, which it uses to extract seeds from pine cones.
The CANARY is a kind of Finch that I often kept as a pet. Miners would often take Canaries underground with them, to warn them of the presence of hazardous vapors in the air.
The SPARROW weaves a nest of grass, and has an unmusical chirp for voice.
The TOWHEE is a kind of Sparrow that continually reminds listeners to drink their tea.
The SHRIKE is a gray bird with a hooked bill. Shrikes have the habit of impaling their prey on thorns.
The WOODPECKER has a pointed beak that is suitable for pecking at wood to get at the insects inside.
The KINGFISHER dives for fish, which it catches with its long, pointed beak.
The TERN migrates over great distances, from one end of Britannia to the other each year. Terns dive from the air to catch fish.
The PLOVER is a bird that distracts predators by pretending to have a broken wing.
The LAPWING is a kind of Plover that has a long black crest.
The HAWK is a predator that feeds on small birds, mice, squirrels, and other small animals. Small hawks are known as Kites.
The DOVE is a seed-eating bird with a peaceful reputation. Doves have a low-pitched cooing song.
The PARROT is a brightly colored bird with a hooked bill, favored as a companion by pirates. Parrots can be taught to imitate the human voice.
The CUCKOO is a devious bird that lays eggs in the nests of Warblers and other small birds. Cuckoos have the uncanny ability to keep track of time, singing once at the beginning of each hour.
The ROADRUNNER is an unusual bird with a long tail, which runs swiftly along the ground hunting for lizards and snakes.
The SWIFT is a very agile bird that spends nearly its entire life in the air. With their mouths wide open, Swifts capture insects in mid-flight.
The HUMMINGBIRD is a cross between a Swift and a Fairy. These tiny, brightly colored birds hover magically near flowers, and live on the nectar they provide.
The OWL is a reputedly wise bird that is active at night, unlike most birds. Owls have excellent night vision and low-pitched hooting calls. Their wings are silent in flight.
The GOATSUCKER is a strange owl-like bird that is thought to live on the milk of goats. These mysterious birds make jarring sounds at night, for which reason they are also called Nightjars.
The DUCK is a bird that swims more than it flies, and has a nasal voice that is described best as a "quack".
The SWAN is a kind of long-necked Duck that is all white. Swans are usually voiceless, but they are said to have an extraordinarily beautiful song.
