Paul has mentioned multiple times that he had a copy of the Observer's Book of Birds as a kid, and that he liked to go birdwatching in the wild areas near where he lived in Speke. (He mentions it in both the entries for Jenny Wren and Single Pigeon in The Lyrics). The birds that we have identified in the gatefold all appear in that book. The illustrations actually come from an older book called Coloured Figures of the Birds of the British Islands (available in full at the Internet Archive).
| Bird name / latin | Page in the Observer's Book of Birds | Bird as it appears in the collage | Notes | Original illustration from Coloured Figures of the Birds of the British Islands |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackbird / Turdus merula |
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Both birds are included. Songs: Blackbird |
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| Chaffinch / Fringilla coelebs |
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This ID is not very obvious. (Image has been flipped, if that helps). See this explanation. |  |
| Cormorant / Phalacrocorax carbo |
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| Curlew / Numenius arquata |
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Flipped. |  |
| Gannet / Sula bassana |
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| Garganey / Anas querquedula |
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I realise this one looks like stretch, but it has actually been confirmed.  See this explanation. |
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| Goosander / Mergus merganser |
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I don't know why this bird is pure white in the collage. |  |
| Great crested grebe / Podiceps cristatus |
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| Great northern diver / Gavia immer |
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| Great tit / Parus major |
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This one took a while to find, but I think it's obviously correct. |  |
| Greenfinch / Chloris chloris |
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Thanks so much to Kate Gibb for being so kind and helpful when I contacted her about this bird. |  |
| Heron / Ardea cineria |
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| Kestrel / Falco tinnunculus |
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| Kite / Milvus milvus |
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Songs: Being For The Benefit of Mr Kite. |
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| Lapwing / Vanellus vanellus |
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| Long tailed duck / Clangula hyemalis |
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Songs: Long Tailed Winter Bird (as mentioned by Paul). |
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| Magpie / Pica pica |
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Songs: Two Magpies, Footprints |
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| Manx shearwater / Puffinus puffinus |
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Songs: Three Legs (Manx means "from the Isle of Man" and this is their flag). |
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| Osprey / Pandion haliaëtus |
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Songs: Tommy's Coming Home |
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| Pheasant / Phasianus colchius |
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Flipped. |  |
| Pochard / Aythya ferina |
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The girls whose head the bird is sitting on is currently unidentified, though the photo has been sourced. |  |
| Shag / Phalacrocorax aristotelis |
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| Skylark / Alauda arvensis |
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Songs: Mama's Little Girl, Days We Left Behind |
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| Storm petrel / Hydrobates pelagicus |
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| Swallow / Hirundo rustica |
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Songs: Is This Love? |
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| Teal / Anas crecca |
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Songs: English Tea |
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| Whooper swan / Cygnus cygnus |
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Songs: This One |
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| Starling / Sturnus vulgaris |
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This bird doesn't appear in the collage, but it has been used at least twice in album promo. First, on the front page of Paul's website and second in the interview with Paul Mescal. |
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