Appearance:

Olive green upperparts, yellowish chest with gradual transition to off-white belly. Very similar to Willow Warbler, and most field characters are subtle and often hard to see. Distinguished by (usually) black, or dark-brown legs, only faint dark framing to ear-coverts, less marked supercilium. Shorter primary projection (1/2 to 2/3'rds the lenght of tertials), with regularly spaced tips (visible when wing folded). Wings more fan-shaped and less pointed than in Willow Warbler. Juveniles much less yellow below than in W.Warbler. Generally leaves a duller and greyer impression than W. Warbler, but plumage very variable. Frequently flicks tail, even sideways. Generally also more active when moving among the foliage.

Sound:

Contact/alarm call a soft, plaintive ascending "hooeet". Similar to W.Warbler, but shorter with a monosyllabic feel. Song a very distinct: "chiff-chaff-chiff-chiff-chaff-chiff", in a regular clock-like rhythm. Each syllable at seemingly random pitch, but no large intervals tonally. Sometimes "get stuck" at one note.

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

Appearance:

Compact built bird attached to rocky habitat. Differs in all plumages from Blue Rock-thrush, Monticola solitarius by short, rufous tail and shorter bill. Primary projection very long, and wing-tips almost reaches end of tail in perching birds. Male in breeding plumage unmistakable with blue-grey head, orange-buff underparts and white patch on back (variable). Male resembles female and immature birds when not in breeding plumage, but can sometimes be sexed by partly grey head and hints of white on back. General characteristics of non-breeding plumage are greyish brown and speckled upperparts, and orange-buff, vermiculated underparts. Then told from female Blue Rock-thrush by aforementioned different build, bill and tail, and also by paler throat-sides/breast and warmer rufous flanks. Posture usually upright with giss resembling more a wheatear than a thrush.

Sound:

Alarm call a soft, wheatear-like "peeu", often accompanied by harder "tek" calls. Also a very nasal, drawn-out wheeze. Song varied and pleasing, and often very difficult to tell from Blue Rock-thrush. It is generally softer, more varied and the deeper notes are less tremulous and vibrating. A higher proportion of the song is in the higher register, with fewer lower fluting sounds, and more mimicry. Both sexes sing, but females less than males.

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:gilgit2, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:gilgit2, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:gilgit2, Licence,Link.