The Birds of London Reading Answers

May 3, 2025

The Birds of London Reading Answers is an academic reading answer topic. The Birds of London Reading Answers has a total of 13 IELTS questions in total. In the question set given you have to choose the correct answer in no more than three words. In the next question set given you have to fill the blank with the correct answer in no more than three words. In the last question set you classify the following as being stated by choosing the correct letter A-F.

The IELTS Reading section is an essential part of the test that evaluates a candidate's comprehension and analysis of various passage types. You will work through a number of IELTS reading practice problems in this section that resemble actual test situations. These questions are designed to help you improve your ability to recognize essential concepts, extract particular facts, and make inferences. Practicing these IELTS reading problems can help you get comfortable with the structure and increase your confidence for the exam, regardless of whether you are studying for the Academic or General Training module.

Check: Get 10 Free Sample Papers
Check: Register for IELTS Coaching - Join for Free Trial Class Now

Section 1 THE BIRDS OF LONDON

A. There are more than two hundred different species and subspecies of birds in the London area, ranging from the magpie to the greenfinch, but perhaps the most ubiquitous is the pigeon. It has been suggested that the swarms of feral pigeons are all descended from birds which escaped from dovecotes in the early medieval period; they found a natural habitat in the crannies and ledges of buildings as did their ancestors, the rock doves, amid the sea-girt cliffs. 'They nest in small colonies, ' one observer has written, 'usually high up and inaccessible' above the streets of London as if the streets were indeed a sea. A man fell from the belfry of St Stephen's Walbrook in 1277 while in quest Of a pigeon's nest, while the Bishop Of London complained in 1385 Of 'malignant persons' who threw stones at the pigeons resting in the City churches. so pigeons were already a familiar presence, even if they were not treated with the

same indulgence as their more recent successors. A modicum Of kindness to these creatures seems to have been first shown in the late nineteenth century when they were fed oats rather than the customary stale bread.

B. From the end of the nineteenth century, woodpigeons also migrated into the city; they were quickly urbanised, increasing both in numbers and in tameness. 'We have frequently seen them on the roofs Of houses, ' wrote the author Of Birdlife in London in 1893, apparently as much at home as any dovecote pigeon.' Those who look up today may notice their fly-lines' in the sky from Lincoln's Inn Fields over Kingsway and Trafalgar Square to Battersea, with other lines to Victoria Park and to Kenwood. The air of London is filled with such 'fly-lines', and to trace the paths of the birds would be to envisage the city in an entirely different form; then it would seem

linked and unified by thousands of thoroughfares and small paths of energy, each with its own history of use. The sparrows move quickly in public places, and they are now so much part of London that they have been adopted by the native population as the sparred; a friend was known to Cockneys as a 'cock sparrer' in tribute to a bird which is sweer and yet watchful, blessed with a dusky plumage similar to that Of the London dust, a plucky little bird darting in and out Of the city's endless uproar.

C. They are small birds which can lose body heat very quickly, so they are perfectly adapted to the 'heat island' Of London. They will live in any small cranny or cavity, behind drain pipes or ventilation Shafts, or in public Statues, or holes in buildings; in that sense, they are perfectly suited to a London topography. An ornithologist who described the sparrow as peculiarly attached to man' said it never now breeds at any distance from an occupied building'. This sociability, bred upon the fondness of the Londoner, is manifest in many ways. One naturalist. W.H. Hudson, has described how any stranger in a green space or public garden will soon find diet 'several sparrows are keeping him company watching his every movement, and if he sits down on a chair or a bench several of them will come close to him, and hop this way and that before him, uttering a little plaintive note of interrogation — Have you got nothing for us? They

have also been described as the urchins of the streets —'thievish, self-assertive and pugnacious' — a condition which again may merit the attention and admiration of native Londoners. Remarkably attached to their surroundings, they rarely create 'fly-lines' across the

city; where they are born, like other Londoners, they stay.

D. There are some birds, such as the robin and the chaffinch, which are less approachable and trustful in the city than in the country. Other species, such as the mallard, grow increasingly Shyer as they leave London. There has been a severe diminution Of the number of sparrows, while blackbirds are more plentiful. Swans and ducks have also increased in number. Some species, however, have all but vanished. The rooks of London are, perhaps, the most notable of the disappeared, their rookeries destroyed by building work or by tree -felling. Areas of London were continuously inhabited by rooks for many hundreds of years. The burial ground of St Deinstalls in the East and the college garden of the Ecclesiastical Court in Doctors' Commons, the turrets of the Tower of London and the gardens of Grays Inn, were once such localities. There was a rookery in the Inner Temple dating from at least 1666, mentioned by Oliver Goldsmith in 1774. Rooks nested on Bow Church and on St Olave's. They were venerable London birds, preferring to cluster around ancient churches and the like as if they were their local guardians. Yet, in the words of the nineteenth-century song, 'Now the old rooks have lost their places'. There was a grove in Kensington Gardens devoted to the rooks; it contained some seven hundred trees forming a piece of wild nature, a matter of delight and astonishment to those Who walked among them and listened to the endless cawing that blotted out the city's noise. But the trees were torn down in 1880. The rooks have never returned.

Questions 1-4

Using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

1. What kind of birds are the London pigeons descended from?

Answer: ROCKDOVES

Supporting statement: as did their ancestors, the rock doves,

Keywords: ancestors, rock doves

Keyword Location: Para A, Line 5

Explanation: According to the text, the London feral pigeon populations are said to be the descendants of the birds that escaped from dovecotes in the early medieval age known as the rock doves.

2. What were pigeons given to eat before attitudes towards them changed?

Answer: STALE BREAD

Supporting statement: late nineteenth century when they were fed oats rather than the customary stale bread.

Keywords: nineteenth century, stale

Keyword Location: Para A, Lines 12-13

Explanation: The text mentions that the attitude towards pigeons changed in the late nineteenth century when people started feeding them oats rather than the usual stale bread that they had been fed before.

3. What are the routes taken by wood pigeons known as?

Answer: FLY LINES

Supporting statement: Those who look up today may notice their fly-lines' in the sky

Keywords: notice, fly-lines

Keyword Location: Para B, Line 4

Explanation: According to the text, the routes taken by the pigeons are popularly known as the fly-lines, which can be seen if you look above.

4. What two activities have contributed to the drastic reduction in the number of rooks?

Answer: BUILDING WORK, TREE - FELLING

Supporting statement: their rookeries destroyed by building work or by tree -felling

Keywords: rookeries, building

Keyword Location: Para D, Line 6

Explanation: According to the text the two activities which have contributed to the drastic disappearance of the rookeries are building work and tree felling.

Questions 5-9

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

SPARROWS

Word meaning(5).............. is derived from the bird's name suited to the atmosphere of London because of a tendency to rapidly (6)................. always likely to reproduce close to (7).................... characteristic noted:(8)................because of the attitude of people in London make a sound that seems to be a kind of (9).....................

(5)..

Answer: FRIEND

Supporting statement: a friend was known to Cockneys as a 'cock sparrer' in tribute to a bird which is sweer and yet watchful,

Keywords: friend, Cockneys

Keyword Location: Para B, Lines 10-11

Explanation: According to the text, the sparrows are swift in public spaces and have become so ingrained in London culture that the locals have adopted them as the sparred friend in honor of the brave little bird that darts in and out of the city's never-ending commotion.

(6)..

Answer: LOSE BODY HEAT

Supporting statement: They are small birds which can lose body heat very quickly,

Keywords: birds, body heat

Keyword Location: Para C, Line 1

Explanation: According to the text, the 'heat island' of London is ideal for these tiny birds since they lose body heat rapidly. The London geography is ideal for them because they may live in any small nook or cavity, behind ventilation shafts or drain pipes, in public statues, or in holes in buildings.

(7)..

Answer: AN OCCUPIED BUILDING

Supporting statement: said it never now breeds at any distance from an occupied building'.

Keywords: breeds, occupied

Keyword Location: Para C, Line 5

Explanation: According to the text, the sparrow always tries to stay close to an occupied building to breed, as they are peculiarly attached to humans.

(8)..

Answer: SOCIABILITY

Supporting statement: This sociability, bred upon the fondness of the Londoner,

Keywords: sociability, fondness

Keyword Location: Para C, Line 6

Explanation: The text states that the sparrow birds' sociability is due to the the fondness of the Londoners towards them.

(9)..

Answer: INTERROGATION

Supporting statement: uttering a little plaintive note of interrogation

Keywords: plaintive, interrogation

Keyword Location: Para C, Line 10

Explanation: The text states that according to one naturalist. W.H. He is accompanied by a number of sparrows who observe his every move. If he sits on a chair or a bench, a number of them will approach him and hop in front of him while posing a small, appealing query, such as, "Have you got anything for us?"

Questions 10-13

Classify the following as being stated of

A pigeons

B. wood pigeons

C sparrows

D. chaffinches

E. blackbirds

F. rooks

Write the correct letter A-F.

10. They are happier with people when they are in rural areas.

Answer: D

Supporting statement: the chaffinch, which are less approachable and trustful in the city than in the country.

Keywords: chaffinch, trustful

Keyword Location: Para D, Lines 1-2

Explanation: According to the text, the chaffinch and robin are less approachable and trustful in the city than they are in rural areas.

11. They rapidly became comfortable being with people.

Answer: B

Supporting statement: Woodpigeons also migrated into the city; they were quickly urbanised,

Keywords: woodpigeons, urbanised

Keyword Location: Para B, Line 1

Explanation: According to the text, the wood pigeons who migrated to the city quickly adapted to the urbanised lifestyle of the city and became comfortable with the people living

12. They used to congregate particularly at old buildings.

Answer: F

Supporting statement: Areas of London were continuously inhabited by rooks for many hundreds of years.

Keywords: London, rooks

Keyword Location: Para D, Lines 6-7

Explanation: According to the text, the rooks used to live in the old buildings in London for a long period of time until they disappeared due to the development of buildings and tree cutting.

13. They used to be attacked by people

Answer: A

Supporting statement: who threw stones at the pigeons resting in the City churches.

Keywords: threw stones, pigeons

Keyword Location: Para A, Line 9

Explanation: The text states that pigeons resting in the city churches are usually attacked by people as they throw stones at them.

Read More IELTS Reading Related Samples