Species:

Cirl Bunting (Emberiza cirlus)

Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava)

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Length (cm):
15-15
17-17
Wingspan (cm):
22-25
23-27
Weight (gram):
21-29
14-21
Size group:
Sparrow-size
Sparrow-size
Main Texts:
Appearance:

Slightly more compact than Yellowhammer, with shorter wings and heavier bill. In all plumages note; olive to grey rump, greyish lesser coverts and finely streaked flanks. Male unmistakable with black throat and eye-stripe. Female and immature lacks black throat, but have more contrasting eye- and moustache-stripe than Yellowhammer.

Sound:

Song variable, but can generally be described as a Yellowhammer phrase with no ending, or an Arctic Warbler with bunting timbre. Tempo also variable, but rhythm always even. Alarm call a thin "tseeep", similar to Rock Bunting, but more drawn out.

Song:

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See sound file


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-photo:janofonsagrada, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Le No, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:fra298, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:fra298, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Marianne Wustenhoff, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

Highly variable with many subspecies in different regions. Upperparts mainly grey and greenish, underparts yellow. Tail quite short compared to other wagtails, and the whole bird in profile is not unlike a pipit. Smallest wagtail in the region. Some birds are very pale below, head markings are very variable, depending on subspecies. Hybrids are not uncommon. Differs from Grey Wagtail in dark legs, only pale yellow vent and narrow wing-bars. Juvenile White Wagtails and Yellow Wagtails can be confused, but White Wagtail is greyer, with big grey breast patch (Yellow Wagtail may show narrow breast band). Closest congener is Citrine Wagtail, which lacks dark lore, has broad wing-bars and grey back.

Sound:

Contact call characteristic and widely used; a sharp, drawn out "pseeeoo" with an accented ending falling in pitch. Song primitive and less striking. A variable phrase with two or three notes resembling the contact call in timbre. Beware differences in calls and songs between different subspecies.

Contact call:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


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

Silhouette Group:
Sparrow-like
Silhouette
Wagtail/pipit-like
Silhouette
Several different images of the species
ImageImageImageImage
ImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImage
Several different sounds of the species
Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file
Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file
Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file