Appearance:

A big accentor with rufous flanks, finely mottled throat, and blackish wing coverts with white tips. Latter often the most obvious character in poor light, and is visible both in flight, and when on ground. Bill black with yellow base. Build stocky and recalls larks or pipits. Tail dark with narrow, white tip. Flight powerful, undulating and thrush-like. Jumps and runs on the ground, with a more upright stance than Dunnock. Sociable, and small flocks can be seen even in breeding season.

Sound:

Song is a varied stream of melodious and chattering notes, more resembling skylark than the much higher pitched Dunnock. Most common call a noisy "tchrt", often repeated in short, retarding series. Also has a more pleasant, ringing Snow Bunting-like "prrrriitt".

Song, call:

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

CC-sound:Michele Peron, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Lennart Verheuvel, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

Plumage green, grey and yellow. Note bright, yellow base of primaries and sides of tail in all ages and plumages. Deep and heavy conical bill. Tail forked and quite short. Plump build. Female more grey than male, with back diffusely streaked in brown and underparts greyish. Juveniles similar to females, with even more drab colours and heavier streaking (also on underparts). Strongly undulated flight. Often appears somewhat clumsy when trying to perch on feeders etc.

Sound:

Song composed of various sequences of linked sounds, repeated in a vibrating manner; "trrrrrrrrr", "chechechecheche". Sometimes resembles Brambling when making the wheezy "rrrrrrrrr" sound, but differs in being harsher and by "pulling" the pitch downwards (or sometimes upwards) at the end. Contact call a fairly resonant "chep-chep", resembling Redpoll, but less nasal and with a fuller tone. Also a sharp, drawn, ascending "kooeee", (perhaps not obviously recognized as a finch).

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