Appearance:

In all plumages: Brown, unstreaked (or faintly streaked) back, grey bill, only faint wing-bars (or none), distinct white base to primaries and streaked throat. Both sexes with pale eye-ring and pale cheek patch. Breeding male distinct with slate grey head, cinnamon back, red chest and red forehead. Females and juveniles easily confused with Twite or Redpoll but note back and face pattern.

Sound:

Flight-call a quick and "bouncing" "gig-gig" or "tchett-tchett". Most often disyllabic utterances, while Twite seems to vary more the number of syllables. Tone harder and more bouncing. Song a varied, sweet stream of contact calls, mimicry and trills with a staccato feel. Most easily recognized by the frequently interwoven, disyllabic contact calls.

Calls, 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:

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.