The Birds of Christmas

Written By: William McReynolds - Highlands Plateau Audubon Society | Issue: December 2023

The twelve days of Christmas bring the birds of Christmas.

On the first day of Christmas My true love sent to me…

In a very old version of this song the lyric is “My mother gave to me.” Mother…true love, pretty much the same. Other versions say: “My good friends brought to me.” All in all, joyful gift-giving.

A partridge in a pear tree…

We don’t have many partridges here on the Plateau if you are thinking of giving this gift. It’s native to Eurasia, Africa, and the Middle East, brought into North America as a game bird. You could find one, probably caged, or substitute a cousin, the Ringed-necked Pheasant. Ringed-necked Pheasants are brightly colored birds, year-round residents of the northern Mid-West, reaching down into Texas. We also have plenty of pear trees. But don’t look for a partridge or pheasant in a pear tree. They are ground dwellers who don’t like heights.

On the second day of Christmas my true love sent to me Two turtle doves…

We have plenty of dove here on the Plateau and in North America: Mourning Doves in particular. Turtle Doves are native to Europe and the Middle East, migrating south of the Sahara for winter. Our Mourning Doves were once called Carolina Turtledoves. Close enough. Get two.

On the third day of Christmas my true love sent to me Three French hens…

Good gift! Any hen becomes a French hen when you call it a poulet. Roast them or cook them in a pot. What bad can you say about a people who have a kiss named after them?

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love sent to me Four calling birds…

Calling birds are abundant here on the Plateau; an easy gift of four. Our best calling bird is probably the Carolina Wren: loud and clear. Remember also that the American Robin has been called “A Piano in the Woods.”

The fifth day brings gold rings followed on the sixth day by Six geese a-laying…

Canada Geese are abundant in North America, as every golfer knows. And six “a-laying” eggs could mean a lot of goslings. Think of them as mobile fertilization units.

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me Seven swans a-swimming…

Swans need fresh water, preferably a lake, a large lake because swans don’t play well with others. They are, however, the gift of beauty to the person who has everything including a large lake. Brace yourself: swans are expensive to buy.

The remainder of the 12 Days of Christmas invoke gifts of maids a-milking, ladies dancing, lords a-leaping, pipers piping and drummers drumming. Cheese and cream, a-dancing and music: How good is that?

Merry birds of Christmas from the Highlands Plateau Audubon Society.