Birds in Bulgaria

L 23-26 cm. Two distinct races, of which the blackthroated (atrogularis) breeds in Siberian taiga, westward to the W slopes of Urals; occasionally strays to W Europe, especially in late autumn and winter. The red-throated (ruficollis) breeds farther S and E, is a very rare vagrant in Europe.
IDENTIFICATION: Fieldfare-shaped. Both races: rusty-buff underwing; contrast between dark (black or red-brown) on throat/breast and relatively unmarked belly/undertail-coverts (the latter always whitish); plain brownishgrey upperparts. Flanks only diffusely spotted grey. Adult male has uniformly dark bib, finely pale-fringed in autumn. Adult female and 1stwinter a similar, heavily dark-spotted and -streaked on breast (markings partly merging) and throat-sides (male finely streaked on entire throat, female usually not). 1st-winter female has sparser dark streaking on breast and throat-sides. Tail of black-throated grey-brown, of red-throated rusty-red.
VOICE: Call a Fieldfare-like whining ‘gvih gvih’. When uneasy, a Redwing-like ‘gyack’ and hard Ring Ouzel-like ‘tack tack’. Song little known; apparently short fluting phrases, at good intervals, with few squeaky sounds, e.g. ‘chürre-chu..... chuvü-chuvü-strix..... chuli, chillvita...’.