I have another bird skull for you to identify this week – sorry if all the bird skulls are getting repetitive, but that’s what I’ve been working on!
This specimen had no identification and had me stumped for a little while, but I now think I’ve worked out what it might be and I’d appreciate your input to see if you agree:
As usual, you can put comments, questions and suggestions below and I’ll do my best to respond. Enjoy!
Zygoma 
It’s hard to be cryptic with this one! Total guess here, but the first thing I thought of was a pretty seabird with a forked tail, small in name, medium in size, epic in travels…
I thought it might be a Tern at first glance, but then realised it’s lacking a key diagnostic feature. Nice to see you’re following the same lines of inductive enquiry as I did though!
Hahaha, if by “inductive enquiry” you mean “that sort of looks like something I’ve seen before…” then yes!
Ok, so if it’s not a Tern, is it then more of a landlubber, brightly coloured, eats things that sting?
Not a bee-eater if that’s what you mean
Does it eat insects?
It does indeed.
Insects in difficult to reach places?
Yes indeed.
Named for its leafy colour?
I’ve been banging my head against a tree with this all morning! Anyone getting any closer? Does the species start with a D?
I don’t think the species starts with a D., but I think you’re in the right ball park!
I’m sort of leaning towards P***s v*****s, but I’m not convinced.
M********s C*******s?
Bit too big for one of those
Did you try to rescue one of these on Monday? Or, for everyone else, might this be spotted on a stump?
Not one of those, but a relative…
Bit late on the posting today but I think this type of bird may have featured in a number of Walter Lanz American cartoons of the 40s. The character initials were WW and he had an irritating little song which he would sing from time to time.
More scientifically, I notice from the dorsal view of the skull that there is a broad strip coming from the back of the cranium towards the base of the bill. This sort of backs up my opinion because this type of bird is known to have a very long tongue reaching right round the cranium and rooted at the upper base of the bill. The skull seems to me to be too big to be a British species so I’d lean towards a larger European species, perhaps D******** m******.
I thought this family too. Dad thought a corvid but he is wrong.
Ric, thanks for pointing out the broad strip. The tongue is ridiculous. I like this game because it gets me looking at so many different animals that I seldom come in contact with.
p_______ w_________?
Wrong species, but right kind of bird