Appearance:

Build like a Magpie, but slightly more slender. Black hood, white throat, buff body and beautiful azure-blue wings and tail. Unmistakable if seen well. In unfavorable conditions the long tail in combination with the black hood and contrasting pale throat is diagnostic. Sexes alike. Flight similar to Magpie, but less staccato and more decisive. Behaves more like a Jay than a Magpie, and usually moves about in small groups.

Sound:

Most typical call is a high-pitched, finch-like, rapidly ascending "hvrriit" (similar to some Siberian Jay or Jay calls). Has a rich repertoire various social sounds of which some are more Magpie-like, like a dry and rolling "krrrrrrr".

Contact call, interaction calls:

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:

Bulky, golden-brown heron with thick neck and short legs. Largely unmistakable but skulky behaviour makes it difficult to observe, as it generally forages hidden in reed-beds. Plumage mottled above, with coarse stripes below. Primaries and most secondaries with dark barring, in contrast to paler coverts. May recall Eagle Owl in flight with broad, rounded wings and retracted neck, but wings are bowed and legs trail behind tail. Crown and moustache stripe black in adult and brown in immature birds. Betrays its presence by it's far reaching song.

Sound:

Flight call a deep croaking "graat". Song unmistakable and far reaching (up to 5 km). Pitch very deep, with timbre similar to blowing on a big empty bottle. At close range an "inbreath" is also audible (1-3 dampened, higher pitched introductory notes).

Song (note; recording not audible on small mobile devices):

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-photo:littlew, Licence,Link.