Appearance:

Adults black, or dark grey with big white/off-white, crescent-shaped chest patch. The light grey fringes to the flight-feathers gives the whole wing a silvery look, especially in flight. Juveniles have a more brownish base colour, with lighter scaly underparts and just a vague chest patch. The whole bird gives a more slender impression than Blackbird, and the wings are longer. Flight more determined and direct than in Blackbird.

Sound:

Alarm call a series of "chok-chok". Thicker and more resonant than Redwing. Song a primitive, plaintive series of short phrases. Often with only one or two syllables. Interspersed with eerie, higher pitched sounds, reminiscent of Song Thrush.

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

Appearance:

Rufous tail with dark brown center in all plumages. Most noticeable in flight when tail is spread. Male unmistakable with black face and throat, white band across forehead, orange-red breast and grey back. Female relatively featureless, except for the characteristic rufous tail. Other characters are brown-grey upperparts, pale eye-ring, and orange tinge to breast. Erect posture with frequent tail flicking.

Sound:

Alarm call a slightly drawn, Willow Warbler-like "huit" with a rising pitch, followed by a short, soft "tuc". Song distinct, with three parts: First an ascending single note, immediately followed by a trill, then concluding with a squeaky, rattling improvisation that usually contains some mimicry.

Alarm 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