Page 442 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

CHATS AND THRUSHES
Family Turdidae Species Tarsiger cyanurus Family Turdidae Species Oenanthe isabellina
Red-flanked Bluetail Isabelline Wheatear

This rare bird inhabits dense northern forests. Males A pale, female or young Wheatear (see p.300),
are slaty blue above, brighter on the crown, with a especially of the large Greenland race, can look very
white chin and pale underside edged orange. Females much like this rarer species. Greyish brown
and immatures are browner, with dusky chests and above, with slightly darker and weakly
orange flanks; the tail is dull steel-blue.The white marked wings, it has a tapering
throat stands out as a well-defined wedge. In general, whitish stripe over the eye (less
the form and behaviour resemble the Robin (see p.295), broad and flared than on Wheat- thick,
but it is a shy bird.It frequently flicks its wings and tail. ear).The tail has a broad black long bill
OCCURRENCE Breeds in extreme band with a very short central
NE Europe; very rare vagrant “T” stem, leaving a squarish,
in NW Europe in autumn. slightly creamy white rump.
VOICE Short whistle and OCCURRENCE Breeds in dark
hard, short tak; song short, NE Greece,Turkey, and spot on
wings
bright, melancholy Middle East; rare vagrant
phrases. in NW Europe.
VOICE Short, hard call; creamy buff
underside
song includes short,
repeated whistles.
steel-blue orange
tail flanks black tail
FEMALE

Length 13–14cm (5–5 1 ⁄2in) Wingspan 21–24cm (8 1 ⁄2 –9 1 ⁄2in) Length 15–16cm (6–6 1 ⁄2in) Wingspan 27–31cm (10 1 ⁄2 –12in)

Family Turdidae Species Catharus minimus Family Turdidae Species Zoothera dauma
Grey-cheeked Thrush White’s Thrush
Several North American thrushes are small, like softly Only a juvenile Mistle Thrush (with bright, pale
marked miniature Song Thrushes (see p.307).The Grey- speckling above and pale wingbars; see p.309) looks
cheeked Thrush is dull olive-brown, with a greyer face much like a White’s Thrush.The latter is a difficult
marked by a thin, weak eye-ring and cold greyish chest bird to observe, being wary and flighty and keeping
marked by rounded, blurry, dark spots.The underwing to low cover where it creeps and shuffles secretively.
(hard to see) has several dark and whitish bands.This is It is a pale, sandy buff bird with black crescents below;
a shy bird, usually remaining on or close to the ground the back has black-edged buff spots. In flight, the tail
in thick bushes. looks dark with pale sides and the underwing flashes
OCCURRENCE Very rare late autumn vagrant in striking black and white stripes (Mistle Thrush has
NW Europe, from North America. plain white underwings).
VOICE Shrill tsee. OCCURRENCE Rare vagrant, typically in late autumn,
in NW Europe, from Asia.
rounded, blurry dark VOICE Silent bird on migration.
spots on grey chest
black-edged,
olive-brown buff spots
body
on back
AUTUMN
black
crescents
below

Length 15–17cm (6–6 1 ⁄2in) Wingspan 28–32cm (11–12 1 ⁄2in) Length 27–31cm (10 1 ⁄2 –12in) Wingspan 40–45cm (16–18in)
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