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:

Dark (or brownish) legs and dark bill (in summer). Diffuse, but heavy streaking below, gives underparts a smoky appearance. The whole bird appears darker than other pipits. Outer tail feathers greyish white. Underside of wings dark. Bill noticeably longer and heavier than in Meadow Pipit. Breeding plumage has less streaked underparts, lighter grey upperparts and pink tinge to chest. Very similar to Water Pipit.

Sound:

Song very similar to Meadow Pipit but much louder. Starting notes often with masked double accents, giving it a hammering tone. Terminal trill stronger and more pronounced. Flight call a very sibilant, rippling "weesst", more drawn than in Meadow Pipit. Usually given as clearly separated single calls, but sometimes in quick successions like M. Pipit. Alarm call a sharp "tseet". All sounds very similar to Water Pipit.

Song, contact 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

Sounds:Recorded by Michele Peron, Jarek Matusiek,http://www.xeno-canto.org ,CC license