Appearance:

A medium sized thrush with evenly brown to olive-brown upperparts. Underparts boldly covered with arrow-shaped spots. Chest with buff tones. Faint face patterns and buff underwing coverts distinguishes it from all other thrushes in the region. Lacks the white cheek-spot of Mistle Thrush, and the colour of the back of the head is not paler than the back. Sexes alike. Juveniles with buff-spotted upperparts. Quite short-tailed and compact, with rounded wings. Jerky, and not very undulated, flight pattern.

Sound:

Very melodious, varied and a master imitator. Still easily distinguished by its tendency to repeat introductory motives two or more times, and its many high pitched themes. Each phrase is loud and penetrating and the tempo deliberate. Most heard (but easily overlooked) contact call is a dry and very short "zip", sometimes given as a two syllable call "zip-ip".

Song:

Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

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:

Pinkish red (male) or greyish brown (female) underparts, and slate grey upperparts. Bill short and deep. Hood, tail, wings, bill and base of bill shiny black. Pure white rump and vent, together with white wing-bars prominent in flight. Wings and tail relatively long. Juveniles lacks black hood. Flight strongly undulated. Not so hurried as other finches when foraging.

Sound:

Contact call a soft, full-bodied, descending, pure whistle; "peeuu". Song a quiet, modest mix of contact call and various chirping sounds, with peculiar harmonics.

Contact call, song:

Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

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