Appearance:

A small, compact martin with short, forked tail and pure white rump. Underparts shiny white (including throat and vent). Upperparts dark with shiny metallic glow to head and back. Juveniles overall more dull, with white tips to tertials and dusky, brownish upperparts. Flight determined and steady. Glides more than Sand Martin, with less frequent change of direction.

Sound:

Contact call a rolling "krreet". Similar to Sand Martin but noticeably dryer, more rolling and less raucous. Typically varies the pitch of the call more. Song a merry improvisation of chirping, contact call-like sounds (sometimes recalling a budgerigar). Warning call a sharp and plaintive "tsreee".

Contact call:

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:

Like a Great Tit-sized Willow Tit. Dark bib very large much bigger. The hood is also extended, and covers more of the head than in Willow Tit, making the white cheeks very narrow and wedge-shaped. Bulky build, with broad head and strong bill. Told from Siberian Tit by complete lack of buff tones to underparts and flanks. Less acrobatic than other tits, and bill powerful enough to tear seeds apart like a finch.

Sound:

Structurally resembling other tits call and song. Usually recognised by its distinct timbre. Its peculiar, rapidly modulated voice sometimes resembles a tit with added electronic effects. Call: a characteristic "tz tz chrrt", resembling the alarm call of House-sparrow.

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

CC

CC-sound:Nikolay Sariev, Licence,Link.