12 days of Christmas

[gwynnethmary]

Anyone would think we were in the song with all these birds around!  How many birds are there in the song?  I was asked this the other day but didn't have time to work it out- sure someone elase can tell us!

[Robert_Brenchley]

Five.

[Unwashed]

Five.

five?

184.  42 swans a swimging, 42 geese a laying, 36 calling birds, 30 french hens, 22 turtle doves,  and 12 partridges.

[Unwashed]

Scrub that.  224.  An eyrar of 42 swans, a gaggle of 42 geese, a nye of 40 gold rings, a mutation of 36 calling birds, a brood of 30 french hens, a dole of 22 turtle doves, and a covey of 12 partridges.

The calling birds are colly birds, or blackbirds, a kind of thrush.
The gold rings are ring-necked pheasants.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Five species. I wasn't thinking in terms of individuals.

[Unwashed]

I make it seven: swan, goose, pheasant, blackbird, chicken, turtle dove, partridge.