Appearance:

A big accentor with rufous flanks, finely mottled throat, and blackish wing coverts with white tips. Latter often the most obvious character in poor light, and is visible both in flight, and when on ground. Bill black with yellow base. Build stocky and recalls larks or pipits. Tail dark with narrow, white tip. Flight powerful, undulating and thrush-like. Jumps and runs on the ground, with a more upright stance than Dunnock. Sociable, and small flocks can be seen even in breeding season.

Sound:

Song is a varied stream of melodious and chattering notes, more resembling skylark than the much higher pitched Dunnock. Most common call a noisy "tchrt", often repeated in short, retarding series. Also has a more pleasant, ringing Snow Bunting-like "prrrriitt".

Song, 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-sound:Michele Peron, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Lennart Verheuvel, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

Olive green upperparts, yellowish chest with gradual transition to off-white belly. Very similar to Chiff-chaff, and most field characters are subtle and often hard to see. Distinguished by (usually) pale, yellow-brown legs, dark framing to ear-coverts, stronger supercilium. Long primary projection (often 3/4ths the length of tertials) with irregularly spaced tips (visible when wing folded). Wings slightly more pointed than in Chiff-chaff, and not so fan-shaped. Juveniles often with whole underparts yellow. Frequently flicks tail, but not sideways (unlike Chiff-chaff). Generally also more calm when moving among the foliage.

Sound:

By far most easily identified by it's call or song. Contact/alarm call a soft, plaintive ascending "hoo-eet". Similar to Chiff-chaff, but first part more drawn, giving it a disyllabic feel. Song: A 3-5 second, falling phrase of soft, rippling "svi-svi" sounds, starting high with some attack, and then falling in a mellow manner. The phrase lacks any conclusion, and diminishes both in strength and tempo.

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