Appearance:

Most similar to Grey Heron but leaves a much darker impression, has a slimmer body, neck and wings. The bill is markedly thinner and is almost level with the flat forehead. Adult birds have black longitudinal stripes along the rufous sides of the neck, and a black crown. Immature birds have more diffuse streaking, and are sandy brown instead of grey. Coverts are also brownish, and partially remains in first summer birds. In flight the dark underwings of adult birds are obvious. The folded neck creates a bigger and more angular bulge and the very long toes are often sprawled. More secretive behaviour than Grey Heron.

Sound:

Quite similar to Grey Heron, but not so vocal. Pitch slightly higher and remains stable throughout the short call. Volume muffled and timbre drier.

Call:

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:

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