Bluethroat
The Bluethroat is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae but it is now more generally considered to be a member of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It, and similar small European species, are often called chats.
The Bluethroat is similar in size to the Robin. It is plain brown above except for the distinctive black tail with red side patches. It has a strong white supercilium. The male has an iridescent blue bib edged below with successive black, white and rust coloured borders. Some races, such as the Red-spotted Bluethroat of north Eurasia, have a red spot in the centre of the blue bib. Others, such the White-spotted Bluethroat of south and central Europe, have a white spot in the centre of the blue bib. The Bluethroat in Turkey has no central spot at all. The female of all races usually has just a blackish crescent on an otherwise cream throat and breast. Newly fledged juveniles are freckled and spotted dark brown above. Despite the distinctive appearance of the males, recent genetic studies show only limited variation between the forms and confirm that this is a single species.
The Bluethroat is a migratory insectivorous species breeding in wet birch wood or bushy swamp in Europe and across the Palearctic with a foothold in western Alaska. It nests in tussocks or low in dense bushes. It winters in north Africa and the Indian subcontinent.
Date: 4th July 2019
Location: River Jakobselva valley near Vestre Jakobselv, Varanger peninsula, Troms og Finnmark, Norway
The Bluethroat is similar in size to the Robin. It is plain brown above except for the distinctive black tail with red side patches. It has a strong white supercilium. The male has an iridescent blue bib edged below with successive black, white and rust coloured borders. Some races, such as the Red-spotted Bluethroat of north Eurasia, have a red spot in the centre of the blue bib. Others, such the White-spotted Bluethroat of south and central Europe, have a white spot in the centre of the blue bib. The Bluethroat in Turkey has no central spot at all. The female of all races usually has just a blackish crescent on an otherwise cream throat and breast. Newly fledged juveniles are freckled and spotted dark brown above. Despite the distinctive appearance of the males, recent genetic studies show only limited variation between the forms and confirm that this is a single species.
The Bluethroat is a migratory insectivorous species breeding in wet birch wood or bushy swamp in Europe and across the Palearctic with a foothold in western Alaska. It nests in tussocks or low in dense bushes. It winters in north Africa and the Indian subcontinent.
Date: 4th July 2019
Location: River Jakobselva valley near Vestre Jakobselv, Varanger peninsula, Troms og Finnmark, Norway
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Also in: North Norway
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