Who's who?

Some animals and plants can be tricky to tell apart at first glance. Here we look at some of the easily mistaken ones and show you how to work out who's who.

Crows

Carrion crow - similar size to rooks but with a very different beak. Both rooks and crows have black feathers than take on shiny purple and green tones in sunlight. Often seen feeding on roadkill.

Rook - often travels in large flocks and can been seen gathering together to roost at dusk. Look for large groups feeding together in fields where they use their large beaks to dig in loose soil for grubs.

Deer

Roe deer - smaller than red deer and with a shorter snout and more rounded head. Look out for flashing white bottoms as these skittish deer run away from you and their characteristic black moustaches.

Red deer - the UK's largest deer with a much more muscular build than roe deer. Their heads and faces are more elongated than roe deer, with large, flat noses.

Green finches

Greenfinch - larger than a siskin and more likely to be seen in the garden. Look for olive-green or brown feathers and thick beaks. They have bright yellow flashes on the outer edges of their wings.

Siskin - smaller, more delicate and with fine, pointed beaks. Siskins like to feed on conifer seeds but will come to bird feeders. Look for darker streaks and a brighter yellow body. 

River rodents

Brown rat - bigger than a water vole and often with lighter, greyer fur and pinkish noses. Rats are good swimmers but are mainly nocturnal.

Water vole - smaller than a rat and with a more rounded body and head. Their fur is often darker in colour than a rat and appears much more silky.

Snakes

Adder - stockier than the grass snake and distinctly patterend with a zig-zag all along its spine. Males are smaller and darker than the brown coloured females, but adders can come in a range of colours from completely black to light and slivery.

Grass snake - often found near water where they hunt for frogs and fish. Grass snakes are great swimmers! Look for their grey/green bodies speckled with black patches, as well as the yellow collar and black stripes along the jaw. 

Blue tits and great tits

Blue tit - smaller than the great tit and sometimes bullied at feeders. These nimble acrobats use their tiny size and delicate beaks to hang at all angles from bird feeders and winkle the tiniest morsels out. Look for the blue cap on their head and stripe through their eye.

Great tit - bigger and bossier than the blue tit. Likes to use nest boxes but needs slightly bigger entrance holes! Look for the black head and striking white cheeks. Males have longer, thicker black stripes on their belly than females. The bigger the stripe, the more important the owner!  

Coots and moorhens

Coot - slightly larger than the moorhen. Has wide flaps of skin along its toes instead of webbed feet. Black feathers all over with a large white shield on its forehead. This led to the phrase 'bald as a coot'!

Moorhen - looks all black at first glance, but in fact has a hint of brown to the feathers over its back with a broken line of white feathers along its side. Has yellow legs and feet with long toes. 

Common and grey seals

Common seal - slightly smaller than grey seals and, despite their name, less common. Often thought of as having a more appealing, expressive look to their face!

Grey seal - often bigger and heavier than common seals. They lack the round head of common seals and instead have a longer, snout-like nose with large nostrils. This is particulalry noticeable in adult males.   

Commas and small tortoiseshells

Comma - look for the famous white comma-shaped mark on the undersides of the wings and the raggedy edges, all helping this butterfly to camouflage itself as a dead leaf when resting with wings closed.

Small tortoiseshell - similar brown and dark tones to the comma but with distinctive lighter patches and a line of blue spots along the edges of the wings. The wing edges are also much more rounded.

Pigeons and doves

Wood pigeon - much larger than a collared dove with a paler beak, pink tummy and blue/grey wings, back and head. Look for the white patches on their necks and the lovely, shiny green and pink feathers next to it. Their loud call - hoo-hooooo-hoo hoo-hoo - sounds a bit like 'my toe bleeds, Betty'!

Collared dove - smaller than wood pigeons with an all-over pink/grey colour to their feathers. They have dark beaks, red eyes and a famous black collar at the back of their necks. Their call isn't quite as deep as a wood pigeon's - coo cooo-coo.

Frogs and toads

Common frog - smaller than toads and tend to hop. Colour and pattern can differ from frog to frog, but they often have pointier snouts, smooth, wet skin and dark stripes or masks.

Common toad - larger than frogs and puff themselves up when threatened. Also prefer to walk than jump. Skin colour can vary from almost black to light sandy brown but is bumpy and dry.

Rabbits and hares

Brown hare - much larger than the rabbit and more likely to be seen on its own. Look out for them in open fields, especially in the spring when small groups come together and 'box' during the breeding season.

Rabbit - much more likely to be seen in rural gardens. Live in large groups (warrens) and dig extensive burrow systems. Look for piles of tiny, pea-shaped droppings on bare patches of groud or raised earth.

Sparrows

House sparrow - most likely to be spotted in the garden, in parks and in towns and cities. Like to nest and feed near people and can be quite tame! Often gather together in small flocks and can be heard chattering together in bushes and hedges.

Tree sparrow - much scarcer than the house sparrow and more likely to be found in woodland and farmland. Will sometimes visit seed feeders in small groups. Also like to nest together in colonies and will use nest boxes close together.

Thrushes

Mistle thrush - larger than a song thrush and more likely to be seen during the winter. Protects stores of food such as berry trees and apples from other birds (and people!). Has a loud, rattle-like call to warn off rivals.

Song thrush - may be seen in the garden all year round. Uses rocks, patio slabs and other hard objects to bash open snail shells. Has a complex song that repeats favourite notes!

Credits: House sparrow by Richard Burkmar / Mistle thrush by northeastwildlife.co.uk / Song thrush, tree sparrow, rabbit, adder, brown rat and greenfinch by Amy Lewis / Brown hare by Damian Waters (drumimages.co.uk) / Frog by Neil Aldridge / Toad by Philip Precey / Comma and coot by David Longshaw / Small tortoiseshell by Zsuzsanna Bird / Common seal by Jamie Hall / Grey seal and siskin by Tom Marshall / Moorhen by Steve Waterhouse / Blue tit by Harry Hogg / Great tit by Bob Coyle / Grass snake by David Chamberlain / Water vole by Kenny Crooks / Carrion crow by Chris Maguire / Rook by Gillian Day