Bluethroat - Luscinia svecica

Bluethroat

Luscinia svecica

Order : Passeriformes

Family : Turdidae ;

Biometrics :

Size : 14 cm
Wingspan : 23 cm
Weight : 15 à 23 g

Longevity : 8 years

IUCN conservation status :

Extinct

Threatened

Least
concern

Extinc
in the Wild

Near
threatened

Not
evaluated

EX EW CR EN VU NT LC NE

Geographic range :

Synonyms : Varakushka (ru), Blåhake (sv), Pechiazul (es), Pettazzurro (it), Blaukehlchen (al), Blauwborst (nl), Bluethroat (en)

Physical description :
Bluethroat adult male summer has brown upperparts. Rounded tail is dark brown with reddish base. Underparts present a wonderful blue bib with rufous crescent at base of the throat. Below, blue bib is bordered by black, white and rufous bands across the breast. Lower breast and belly are white. Undertail coverts have reddish base.
Head is brown, with conspicuous white eyebrow. Eyes are black. Bill is black with yellow lower base. Legs and feet are grey-brown.
In winter plumage, some whitish feathers invade the blue bib.
Female has whitish throat and breast, with a band of black spots across upper breast. She also has black malar stripe. Some adult females may have blue and rufous on lower breast, but most of them lack these colours.
Juvenile has spotted brown plumage, giving a scaly look, but it has the reddish pattern of adults on the tail, just less extended.
First winter resembles adult female with buff tips on wing feathers.
Young male has some blue on the sides of the throat.

There are several subspecies with different throat colour pattern.
Luscinia s. svecica, from northern latitudes with red mirror centre.
Luscinia s. cyanecula, from Spain, Central Europe and west of Russia, with white mirror.
Luscinia s. magna (same range) has entire blue throat.

Voice :
Sound from CD 'Tous les Oiseaux d'Europe' by Jean C. Roché by courtesy of Sittelle and CEBA. Bluethroat's usual call is a hard 'tuck-tuck' or 'tchak-tchak', and also a plaintive 'hweet'. Vigorous and varied song includes much mimicry of other species. Rich and sustained song includes bell-like notes such as 'ting-ting-ting', and musical notes, hisses and trills.

Habitat : Bluethroat breeds on tundra with brushy areas, thickets, wet forest edges, scrubs on hills and mountainous areas, often near water. It may be found at about 2000 metres of elevation.
It winters in scrubby waterside and reedbeds.
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE: Bluethroat breeds in northern Europe, Eurasia, western Alaska and Yukon Territory.
It winters mainly from north eastern Africa to western India. Winter areas in North America are unknown.

Behaviour : Bluethroat is an insectivore bird. It forages in low vegetation to catch insects. When on the ground, it turns over the leaves and the soil to expose small invertebrates. It may hawk flying insects too. It runs on the ground as a mouse. It remains hidden under cover. It has an erect attitude and may stay motionless for a moment.
Male sings from an exposed perch, at the tip of a branch of small scrub. Female is shyer and secretive.
During courtship displays, male often sings while performing flight displays. It also fans its tail to expose the reddish feathers to female. Male guards its mate from other males around the start of egg laying. It stays within one metre of her, and follows her when she leaves the nest. Copulation occurs under cover of vegetation.

Flight : Bluethroat flies low, close to the ground, with rapid wing beats, and then, performing a glide ending into the low bushes. Direct flight is rather swift.

Reproduction-nesting : Bluethroat's nest is located on the ground, concealed in a shallow hole or in tussocks. Nest is built by female with grass, bark, roots and moss. It is lined with softer materials.
Female lays 4 to 7 pale blue or green eggs, speckled with brown. Incubation lasts about 13 to 15 days, by female. Altricial chicks are covered with sparse slate-grey down. Both parents feed them with insects. Young leave the nest at about 13 to 14 days after hatching. If female starts a second brood, male takes care of the first chicks alone.
This species may produce two broods per season.

Food habits : Bluethroat feeds mainly on insects, but also caterpillars and berries.

Protection / threats : This species is not threatened at this time, however, changes and modification of its wet habitats may become an important threat for Bluethroats.

Other links :
Iucn
Birdlife

Specification sheet created by Nicole Bouglouan

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Updated on 2008/05/04 05:30:55 - © 1996-2008 Oiseaux.net