Appearance:

Very similar to Thrush Nightingale. Anonymous, indistinct plumage and secretive behaviour makes it an easily overlooked bird (except when singing). Tail rufous brown, upperparts warm brown. Underparts buff and white. Throat without streaking. Tail more rufous, and contrasts less with the warm brown back, than in Thrush Nightingale. Overall a more smooth and clean appearance. Thrush-like behaviour despite the small size, with jumping gait, erect posture, raised tail and drooping wings.

Sound:

Alarm call either a thin, flycatcher-like "weeet", or a Chiff-chaff-like "piuu". Also a characteristic (but similar to Thrush Nighitingale) dry, rattling, frog-like "rrrrr". The song is the best characteristic to separate it from T. Nightingale. It consists of extremely resonant, full-bodied notes and lacks the, dry, rolling, rattling sounds of T.N. Most distinct species specific sound is the interwoven series of slightly ascending, plaintive notes (0.04 - 0.10 in recording). May mimic Thrush Nightningale!

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:

Epitome of wheatears. Male with grey back, white supercilium, black mask and dark wings. Females have less contrast, are more brownish than grey, the supercilium is fainter and the black mask is missing. Rump white and tail white with black "T" in all plumages. The black in the middle tail-feathers is always at least as long as the width of the black terminal tail-band. Pale individuals can be mistaken for Isabelline Wheatear, but note that the supercilium is buff between eye and base of bill.

Sound:

Contact and alarm call a high pitched, sharp "weet", followed by a hard "check", like hitting two rocks together. The "weet" sound is much sharper than the similar sound in Whinchat and Stonechat. Wheater usually repeats the "weet" sound more frequently than the "check" sound. The "check" of Stonechat is less pure and more gritty. The Wheatear song consists of short phrases with marked pauses. Each phrase is often introduced by the "weet" sound, then followed by hastened, creaking, rattling and warbling sounds of 1-2 seconds duration. The "check" sound is also often included in the song.

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