Firecrest (Regulus ignicapilla)
Alpine Chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus)
Distinct head markings, with black eye-stripe contrasting with broad, white supercilium. Top of head yellow (female), or orange (male), framed by black crown stripes. Characteristic orange shoulder patch, lacking in all confusion species. Immature is distinguished by present supercilium, other head markings absent.
Sound:Call: a thin "tsi tsi tsi" similar to Goldcrest, but not so sharp. Song: Similar in timbre to Goldcrest, but much more monotonous. A slow crescendo of short "tze" sounds in a phrase rising slightly in pitch, without the repeated arpeggiated movements of goldcrest.
Song:
Distribution:
Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)
Ecology:Birdlife ecology
Links:
Observation.org Latest observations
Image search Flickr NB! May give other species
CCAll black plumage, red legs and relatively short and straight, yellow bill. Note that immature Red-billed Chough has yellowish-brown bill, but never as pure yellow as in Alpine Chough, and the whole bill is curved. Easily confused with Red-billed Chough at a distance where both species occur, but note more narrow, less fingered wings, and longer, more rounded tail. Resembles Jackdaw in size, but flying Alpine Choughs differs by two-toned underparts of wings (darker coverts). Flight acrobatic, but a little more stilted than Red-billed Chough.
Sound:Diagnostic and very different from Red-billed Chough. A sharp, quite high-pitched, whistling trill "chreeeee". Usually alternated with pure-toned high-pitched whistles, falling abruptly in pitch with a "clipping" ending.
Contact call:
Distribution:
Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)
Ecology:Birdlife ecology
Links:
Observation.org Latest observations
Image search Flickr NB! May give other species
CC