Species:

Alpine Swift (Tachymarptis melba)

Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata)

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Length (cm):
20-22
53-69
Wingspan (cm):
54-60
106-116
Weight (gram):
76-125
1170-1900
Size group:
Thrush-size
Bigger than a crow
Main Texts:
Appearance:

Only swift in the region with white underparts divided by breastband. Upperparts brown. Distinctly bigger than Swift, with robust build and powerful flight. Tail short with rather shallow fork. Wing-action slower than Swift, with each beat discernible. May give Hobby-like impression at a distance .

Sound:

Seldom heard except in breeding season. Call a long, hard, trilling note, reminiscent of Temminck's Stint . Also a short, cut-off pju pju pju used as alarm call.

Contact call:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


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-sound:Fernand DEROUSSEN, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

Summer: Red throat (seemingly black at a distance!). Lacks white vertical framing of throat patch and white spotted back of Black-throated Diver. Winter: Quite pale. White face and eye-ring. Just a narrow stripe of dark grey along the back of the neck. In all plumages best identified by posture and silhouette, especially when seen at a distance. Slender neck, head and bill. Flat chest. Usually shows no white flank patch. Bill usually held uptilted.

Sound:

In flight; nasal, dry, gooselike series of rhythmic cackling "ko-ko-ko". Most vocal when courting and breeding. A meowing drawn-out sound starting with a register break, then falling in pitch. Display call a far reaching rolling cyclic cooing, given in long sequences.

Song/display:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


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-sound:Lauri Hallikainen, Licence,Link.

Similar species (image):
Similar species (sound):
Silhouette Group:
Swallow-like
Silhouette
Loons/grebes
Silhouette
Several different images of the species
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Several different sounds of the species
Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file