Appearance:

Small member of the thrush family, with erect posture and large head. Distinct white or buff supercilium in all plumages. Base of primaries shiny white in adults, especially adult male. Coarsely spotted buff rump. Base of tail with white triangular patches. Juveniles with white speckles on upperparts and whitish throat. Lacks the white base of primaries, but supercilium bold.

Sound:

Contact call resembles many of it relatives. A short, soft "peeu", followed by a hard "check" (like hitting two rocks together). The "peeu"-sound is depper and more resonant than similar sounds by Wheatear and Stonechat. Song variable with lots of mimicry. The short phrases starts with dry, rattling or sneering trills, followed by clear whistling notes and expert mimicry. More varied, both in tone and tempo, than both Stonechat and Wheatear.

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:

Breeding male easily recognized by all black head, prominent white moustache stripe and white collar. Rufous greater coverts in young birds. Females and juveniles otherwise plain and rather characterless, and are easily confused with other rare buntings. Reed bunting however, lacks the pale eye-ring and plain cheeks of Little Bunting, and the rufous rump of Rustic Bunting.

Sound:

Song variable between individuals and breeding status: A short sequence of 3-5 brittle and buzzing sounds, repeated consistently with marked pauses. Last sound in phrase often has a conclusive feel, but not always. Paired males sing slower than unpaired. Unpaired male song also more contracted, making the pauses between each phrase stand out. Contact call a sharp, descending and drawn "tseeeoo". A bit similar to Yellow Wagtail, but not as sharp and explosive. In migration a thick, and unmusical "chong" is often heard.

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