Appearance:

Unmistakable in most of Europe where no other nuthatch species occur. Only bird climbing head-first downwards trees. Blue-grey upperparts, white underparts and solid black eye stripe. Large head, long bill and short tail. Climbs in jerky, but nimble motion. Scandinavian birds with mostly white underparts (except for vent), continental birds with more rufous belly.

Sound:

Very varied voice. Ranging from very high pitched whistles and melodic resonant calls, to chattering and nasal mocking sounds. Song a simple series of loud notes. Characteristic warning call a hard "check" or "chwit", often in rapid series, like a pebble bouncing on hollow ice.

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:

Small bunting with warm rufous cheeks framed in black. Often with a pale spot hind-cheek, towards the neck. Pale eyering, pale wing-bar, rufous median and black lateral crown-stripe . Bill grey with straight culmen. Easily confused with female Reed Bunting. In addition to mentioned criteria, also note pinkish legs and much paler lores. Sexes more or less alike, but birds with rufous throat and contrasting crown-stripes are usually males.

Sound:

Contact call a sharp and short "zeek". Song pleasant and melodic. Variable phrases with variable tempo. Repeated single notes are frequently interrupted by trills. Timbre rich in harmonics like other buntings.

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

CC

CC-photo:ansel.ma, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Hiyashi Haka, Licence,Link.

Sound:Recorded by Andreas Linden, http://www.xeno-canto.org/ ,CC license