Appearance:

A small and elegant flycatcher with deep chest, slender vent and fairly long tail. Head rounded and bill thin. Best field mark is the dark tail with white edges at the base (Wheatear-like) shown in all plumages. Often flirts tail, showing the diagnostic markings. Male recognized by Robin-like throat-patch and slate grey head. The red is restricted to the upper throat, and does not extend to the cheeks like in Robin. Very acrobatic flight when hunting. More pronounced flicking of tail than in other flycatchers, with tail sometimes even pointing forward over back, before being let down slowly.

Sound:

Alarm call a sharp and dry "trrrrrt". Song comprised of three continuous sections; first a few separate ascending notes which leads into a motif of 2-3 notes, which then closes with a few falling single notes. Tone is resonant and full, like in Pied Flycatcher.

Alarm call, 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

CC-photo:Hiyashi Haka, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

In all plumages recognized by its long tail, call, and choice of habitat (reeds). Male unmistakable, with bluish grey head, yellow bill and black drooping moustache. Females and juveniles mostly plain, yellow-brown with whitish underparts and no moustache. Young females with dark bill, young males with yellow bill and black lore. Juveniles with black patch on back and black outer tail feathers. Flight whirring and undulated. Sometimes fans tail in flight with twisting motions.

Sound:

More often heard than seen. Usually identified by contact call; a ringing, explosive "tschin" with a characteristic "dirty" timbre. Also a hard and very short "pit", often mixed with the previous. Song a primitive, 3-syllable phrase, consisting of contact call-like sounds.

Contact call:

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

CC-photo:sussexbirder, Licence,Link.