Appearance:

Small and slender Sylvia about the size of Lesser Whitethroat. The short wings, steep forehead and striking long tail alone is often enough for positive id. Upperparts dark slate grey, and underparts of male vinous red with finely white spotted throat. Female less brightly coloured with more brownish tones and less red underparts. Immature duller still, with brownish underparts rather than red. Yellow base of lower mandible in all ages and sex. Lacks the white moustache-stripe of Subalpine Warbler. Tail frequently held raised. Skulking behaviour. Prefers scrubs/Gorse and is usually only glimpsed when moving low from bush to bush, or when singing from more exposed perch.

Sound:

Contact call a diagnostic, very nasal "chirr", quite different from other Sylvia, and used freely. Warning call a har "tuc". Song similar to Sardinian Warbler, but usually identifiable by frequently interspersed contact calls. Phrases are quite short, and pauses are as long or longer than the actual phrases. Each phrase typicall starts and ends with a more tonal segment than the regular chattering.

Song (with contact 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-Photo:Marc Kolkman, Licence,Link.

CC-sound:Peter Boesman, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:chausinho, Licence,Link.

CC-Photo:Viskens Michel, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Ximo Galarza i Planes, Licence,Link.

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:

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.