Pygmy Cormorant (Microcarbo pygmaeus)
Willow Ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus)
Only about half the size of Great Cormorant.Diagnostic profile with long tail and short, thick neck. Steep forehead and short, dark bill. Adult breeding with fine white speckles on chest and neck. Immatures with varying degree of white breast or underparts. Bare skin in gular area only faintly yellow of pinkish. Flight usually low with rapid wingbeats and interspersed glides (often recalling coot). Perches upright.
Sound:Mostly vocal at breeding ground. Short, nasal croaking sounds in series. Often alternating between deep and high note.
Contact call:
Distribution:
Xeno-canto: map
Ecology:Birdlife ecology
Links:
Observation.org Latest observations
Image search Flickr NB! May give other species
CCSlightly bigger and more heavy build than Ptarmigan, with clearly heavier bill. Summer plumage warm brown above with white belly, showing a warmer brown than Ptarmigan. Winter plumage all white in both sexes, except for black tail. Males lacking black lores. Wings always white in all plumages in nominate ssp. lagopus, and brown in ssp. scotica.
Sound:Very characteristic calls: "Kuwa -Kuwa -Kuwa" (go back!) Also: "kauw kauwkkkrrrkekekekekeke" with a short pause after first "kauw", then a decelerating cackle, often followed by the "go back" call.
Song:
Distribution:
Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)
Ecology:Birdlife ecology
Links:
Observation.org Latest observations
Image search Flickr NB! May give other species
CC