Appearance:

In all plumages: Brown, unstreaked (or faintly streaked) back, grey bill, only faint wing-bars (or none), distinct white base to primaries and streaked throat. Both sexes with pale eye-ring and pale cheek patch. Breeding male distinct with slate grey head, cinnamon back, red chest and red forehead. Females and juveniles easily confused with Twite or Redpoll but note back and face pattern.

Sound:

Flight-call a quick and "bouncing" "gig-gig" or "tchett-tchett". Most often disyllabic utterances, while Twite seems to vary more the number of syllables. Tone harder and more bouncing. Song a varied, sweet stream of contact calls, mimicry and trills with a staccato feel. Most easily recognized by the frequently interwoven, disyllabic contact calls.

Calls, 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:

Male: Charcoal to black plumage, with rufous red tail, pale belly and pale wing-panel (south-eastern subspecies with rufous belly and no wing-panel). Female: Grey brown overall, except rufous tail. Lacks the orange tinge to breast and belly of female Common Redstart. Juveniles resembles the adult female, and lacks the buff speckles of congeners. May jump around on the ground like CR, but are more prone to run. Also shows a more erect posture.

Sound:

Song consists of three parts and is distinct if heard well. It opens with some clear notes that may form a trill, which are then followed by a pause. Next part is rather unique, and sounds as if shaking a handful of gravel. The phrase then usually closes with a couple of trills. The "gravel-part" does not carry as far as the rest of the song. Alarm call is a chat-like alternation between short, high-pitched "wit" sounds, and series of hard and dry "teck".

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