Answers are birds

[rescuer]

Can any one help with these -- the answers are birds:
Reims - famed for one (7 letters)
Election in Communist Russia (7)
Used bow and arrow to deadly effect (7)
Gilbert's Princess (5)
Short period of activity ( 6 and 5 letters)
Chinese batman's failure (8 and 4 letters)

[Harry-Wragg]

Redpoll - election etc.

[tearinghair]

Jackdaw of rheims
Sparrow (I said the sparrow, with my bow and arrow, i killed **** Robin)

[chorley9]

used bow and arrow to deadly effect= sparrow

[Harry-Wragg]

Sparrow - killed **** robin

[shaneystar2]

Reims etc The (Jackdaw )of Rheims

[tearinghair]

Oh for heaven's sake! it wasn't I who typed the asterisks.- must be an automatic reaction on the site.They indicate the male version of hen!

[shaneystar2]

Chinese batman's failure..Mandarin Duck

[novalis]

Election = Redpoll

[Harry-Wragg]

tearinghair - same here.

[shaneystar2]

Gilbert's Princess.... Merle ?
She's a Princess Merle in a book by Gilbert Morris.

[rescuer]

Thank you to all for quick response. All I need now are Gilbert's Princess (5) and Short period of activity ( 6 & 5).

Re the asterisks tearinghair and Harry-Wragg, this happened to me on another site some years ago. I typed in a north Lincolnshire town which was, and probably still is,a centre for melting steel. As a young salesman, yeaers ago, I was in the town regularly and never thought that 4 letters in the middle of the name spelt a naughty word!

[rescuer]

Thanks shaneystar2. That must be the answer but I have never heard of the author.
Now all I need is -short period of activity (6 and 5 letters)

[coolcalluna]

G & S had "Princess Ida" - so Eider (duck)

[shaneystar2]

I think Eider is better than Merle ...I kept thinking of Princess Ida but the penny still didn't drop !