With Twelfth Night, the end of my annual survey of birds depicted on
Christmas cards has passed, so here is my summary of the species
observed.  The habitats covered by this survey include conventional
cards, e-cards, envelopes, address stickers and stamps, although no
differentiation by habitat is included below.  All are visual sightings:
none were "heard only" records, largely owing to the fact that persons
observed with Christmas cards pressed to their ears tend to lose
credibility among their fellow birders.  Lists show common name,
scientific name and number observed, with notes shown in square brackets.

Christmas Card Bird List (2012)

Anseriformes

Mute Swan               Cygnus olor                        7
Canada Goose            Branta canadensis                  6 [1]

Galliformes

Red-legged Partridge    Alectoris rufa                     1
"French Hen"            Gallus gallicus                    3 [2]

Sphenisciformes

Generic Penguin         Aptenodytes generalis              1 [3]

Accipitriformes

Red Kite                 Milvus milvus                     2
(Western) Marsh Harrier  Circus aeruginosus                4

Columbiformes

Generic Dove             Columba nonspecificus             2
(European) Turtle Dove   Streptopelia turtur               2

Psittaciformes

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita                  1

Strigiformes

Barn Owl                  Tyto alba                        2

Coraciiformes

Laughing Kookaburra       Dacelo novaeguineae              1

Passeriformes (Turdidae)

European Robin            Erithacus rubecula              13
(Common) Blackbird        Turdus merula                    4

Passeriformes (Sylviidae)

Blackcap (badly drawn)    Sylvia atricapilla mal-depictus  2

Passeriformes (Troglodytidae)

(Winter) Wren             Troglodytes troglodytes          1

Passeriformes (Cardinalidae)

Northern Cardinal         Cardinalis cardinalis            1

Passeriformes (Paridae)

(European) Blue Tit       Cyanistes caeruleus             13
Black-capped Chickadee    Poecile atricapilla              1
Unrealistic Chickadee     Poecile quixoticus               2 [4]

Passeriformes (Halfbakidae)

Schematic Songbirds       Aves symbolicus                  5

Notes:

[1] Includes one possible Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii) on a very
small address label.
[2] Une observation filandreuse.
[3] May be Cute Penguin (Aptenodytes disneyii).
[4] May be conspecific with Blue Sky Tit (Cyanistes caeli-caerula).

Analysis.  Compared with previous years, the large number of raptors,
combined with relatively few doves, is notable.  Does this indicate a
change in the level of aggression associated with the festive season?
Also of interest is the small numbers of Northern Cardinals, possibly a
result of a poor breeding season or North American contacts abandoning
Christmas cards for emails with excessive detail on the activities of
children but no bird images.

John
--
===============================================
John Arnfield : Church Stretton, Shropshire, UK

______________________________________________________________________

Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/.

You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS
Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]