Appearance:

Unmistakable if seen well. Corvoid-like at a distance, and may be mistaken for Jay if no plumage characters are visible. Tail is however quite a bit shorter, and wings slightly longer. Flight-feathers dark, contrasting with turquois coverts, both below and above. Underparts especially striking in flight, being pale blue (sometimes seemingly white) all over, except dark flight-feathers and base of tail. Bill heavy. Immature duller than adults with faint streaked breast and slightly rufous coverts. Wing-beats deep and regular. Flies mostly in a straight line. Migrating birds move in characteristic procession-like formations.

Sound:

Various dry rasping, sometimes mewing, sounds and short clicks: "ahrahrahrahrahrahrahr" or pulse of clicks: "trrrtrrrrtrr". Also a clearer raptor- or jay-like descending "piiuu".

Display calls:

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

CC-sound:Jarek Matusiak, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

Unmistakable. Very small, mouselike bird with short rounded wings, short neck and upright tail. Upperparts chestnut brown and finely barred. Underparts light buff. Forages in thick undergrowth and low bushes, crevices and holes for insects. Easily overlooked, but betrays its presence by its big voice. One of the smallest bird in northern Europe.

Sound:

Song surprisingly loud. A high-pitched stream of clear notes resembling Robin and Dunnock in timbre. Differs from those in showing frequent shifts in pitch with much larger register than Dunnock, and by the unique, numerous, interspersed long trills. Warning call a short hard "teck", like banging two rocks together. Often repeated in series when excited to form machine-gun-like "firing".

Alarm call, 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