Appearance:

Stocky martin with broad (but pointed) wings, broad tail and broad head. Mostly dusky brown with paler underparts, except almost black under wing-coverts, and fairly dark vent. Most tail-feathers with small, white "window" visible from below. Immature similar to adults, but with pale fringes to coverts. Flight less acrobatic than other martins, with frequent, long glides. Strays less away from breeding grounds than congeners.

Sound:

Most heard is a House Martin-like, but less rolling, "prit" or "check". Other contact sounds include a plaintive "peeuuu". Song an inconspicuous, staccato series of twittering notes, with a wagtail-like timbre.

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:

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