Appearance:

A medium sized thrush with evenly brown to olive-brown upperparts. Underparts boldly covered with arrow-shaped spots. Chest with buff tones. Faint face patterns and buff underwing coverts distinguishes it from all other thrushes in the region. Lacks the white cheek-spot of Mistle Thrush, and the colour of the back of the head is not paler than the back. Sexes alike. Juveniles with buff-spotted upperparts. Quite short-tailed and compact, with rounded wings. Jerky, and not very undulated, flight pattern.

Sound:

Very melodious, varied and a master imitator. Still easily distinguished by its tendency to repeat introductory motives two or more times, and its many high pitched themes. Each phrase is loud and penetrating and the tempo deliberate. Most heard (but easily overlooked) contact call is a dry and very short "zip", sometimes given as a two syllable call "zip-ip".

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:

Medium sized falcon with long tail and long wings. Upperparts brick-red, underparts pale buff with dark speckles. Male; light grey head and tail. Female; brick-red head and tail. Both sexes with broad, black terminal tail-band visible on both sides. Evident, but diffuse moustache-stripe. Hovers more frequently than other raptors. Tail and wings gives a more rounded impression when soaring. Very similar to Lesser Kestrel.

Sound:

Most common call a fast series of short, high-pitched "ke-ke-ke". Much less raucous than Merlin or Peregrine.

Call:

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

Sounds:Recorded by Francesco Sottile,http://www.xeno-canto.org ,CC license