Appearance:

Build like a Magpie, but slightly more slender. Black hood, white throat, buff body and beautiful azure-blue wings and tail. Unmistakable if seen well. In unfavorable conditions the long tail in combination with the black hood and contrasting pale throat is diagnostic. Sexes alike. Flight similar to Magpie, but less staccato and more decisive. Behaves more like a Jay than a Magpie, and usually moves about in small groups.

Sound:

Most typical call is a high-pitched, finch-like, rapidly ascending "hvrriit" (similar to some Siberian Jay or Jay calls). Has a rich repertoire various social sounds of which some are more Magpie-like, like a dry and rolling "krrrrrrr".

Contact call, interaction calls:

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:

Pied, medium sized woodpecker with strong bill, and diagnostic elongated white shoulder patches (scapulars). Vent always red. Male with red hindneck, female shows no read on head. Juveniles with whole crown red, barred scapulars and pinkish vent. Differs from Syrian- and Middle Spotted Woodpecker in long moustache stripe connecting to both black nape and base of bill. Flight strongly undulated with alternating burst of wing-beats and glides with closed wings.

Sound:

It's frequent drumming is easily recognized by its short duration. Typically it lasts 0.5 seconds, sometimes slightly longer. Contact call frequently hear throughout the year. A short hiccup "kek", sometimes in series. When excited this may escalate into a trill.

Contact call, alarm call, drumming:

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