Appearance:

Adult male easily recognized by its red head, chest and rump. Females and juvenile males may be mistaken for House Sparrow or Corn Bunting, but are slimmer with shorter and deeper bill. Juvenile plumage olive-brown with dark streaking and buff double wing-bars. Posture often erect, but with short neck, making the bird seem long-tailed. Heavily undulated flight.

Sound:

Song very characteristic. A melodious, pure and short whistle, often rendered as "pleased to meet you". Each note with a smooth gliding change of pitch. Number of syllables may vary. Contact call a short ascending "hueet" resembling Siskin in timbre.

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:

Differs from Arctic Tern in longer head, and more orangy red, rather than deep red, bill. Tip of bill usually black. Legs longer, but tail streamers shorter than AT. Underparts of primaries with diffusely bordered dark trailing edge (sharply bordered in Arctic Tern). Upper side of primaries with dark wedge (less apparent in winter). Secondaries opaque. Crest more apparent than in Arctic Tern and underside whiter. Juveniles with buff back.

Sound:

Similar to Arctic Tern but deeper. Lacks latter's high pitched "tip-tip-tip" call, and the drawn out "kree-aaahh" call falls more distinctly in pitch.

Call:

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

CC-sound:Eetu Paljakka, Licence,Link.