Appearance:

Adult male unmistakable if seen well. Body and head bright yellow, lores, wings and tail black. Females and young males less distinct, with lime-green back, pale, streaked underparts and black wings and tail. Bill quite strong with reddish colour in adults, and grey in young birds. Despite the bright plumage the bird is difficult to see due to skulking behaviour in foliage. Usually spotted when moving from tree to tree in undulating flight. Then resembles a large thrush or woodpecker, quickly darting upwards into the next tree-top.

Sound:

Varied repertoire, but song and common contact call very distinct. Song a series of 1-2 seconds long phrases of 3-5 yodeling, clear, fluting notes, interspersed with 2-3 second pauses. Tone very full-bodied, melodic and pleasing. Contact call surprisingly different: A forced, drawn "weeackt", slightly resembling Jay, but less harsh, and much more nasal. Other sounds include a Wryneck-like warning call.

Contact 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

Appearance:

A featureless, bulky bunting. Larger than Yellowhammer, but with a shorter tail. Combination of size, build, flight-pattern and sound important for identification. Recalls the bigger larks in build. Takes off with a loose and surging flight, often with legs dangling underneath. Undulations particularly strong just before landing. Wings dark, and tail without white feathers or markings. "Tooth" in upper mandible visible at close range when singing. Bill and legs yellowish pink. Often shows an indistinct, dark breast patch.

Sound:

Song diagnostic. A brittle, jingling and accelerating phrase of about 2 seconds duration. Repeated in a monotonous manner, to form a typical soundscape of fields where it is numerous. Often compared to the sound of a chain of small keys. The phrase starts with a few staccato, ticking sounds that progress into a dry trill, followed by a short ritardando. Calls with a dry "chep" or a brittle "vitt".

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