Appearance:

Male: Charcoal to black plumage, with rufous red tail, pale belly and pale wing-panel (south-eastern subspecies with rufous belly and no wing-panel). Female: Grey brown overall, except rufous tail. Lacks the orange tinge to breast and belly of female Common Redstart. Juveniles resembles the adult female, and lacks the buff speckles of congeners. May jump around on the ground like CR, but are more prone to run. Also shows a more erect posture.

Sound:

Song consists of three parts and is distinct if heard well. It opens with some clear notes that may form a trill, which are then followed by a pause. Next part is rather unique, and sounds as if shaking a handful of gravel. The phrase then usually closes with a couple of trills. The "gravel-part" does not carry as far as the rest of the song. Alarm call is a chat-like alternation between short, high-pitched "wit" sounds, and series of hard and dry "teck".

Song:

Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

Appearance:

Most distinct species of the genus. Most similar to Willow Warbler, but with much more contrasting plumage. Upperparts pure green. Throat and upper chest yellow, contrasting with pure white underparts. Distinct and strong yellow supercilium and black eye-stripe. Long primary projection, with primaries reaching middle of relatively short tail. Tertials with pale green fringes. Legs pale yellowish brown. Posture often horizontal with drooping wings.

Sound:

Song distinct. An accelerating series of sharp, metallic "swee-swee-swee-swee". Typically with a staccato beginning. Pitch drops as the speed increases and the syllables fuses into a continuous trill. Often described as the sound of a spinning coin coming to rest on a glass table. Some phrases may be given in an almost even tempo, and may recall Bonelli's Warbler. Alternative (piping) song a series of 4-6 piping, plaintive and descending "pew - pew" calls. Resembles Willow Tit's song, but is softer with each note more evenly pitched. Contact call similar to individual syllables of piping song, but with heavier accent on the ending.

Song (two variants):

Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC