L 12-14 cm. Breeds in uncultivated, usually damp areas, e.g. rough pastureland, commons, tussocky grassland, water meadows, also bracken-covered slopes. Summer visitor (Apr-Oct), winters in Africa. Food insects. Nests in tussock.
IDENTIFICATION: Short-tailed and plump. Perches upright, twitches or vibrates tail, flies off low. Rump dark-spotted yellow-brown. A little white on tail-base, glimpsed in flight. - Adult male: Brownish-black head-side framed by white stripes. Throat/breast orange-buff. One or two white wing patches. - o/1st winter: Buffish-white supercilium, light brown head-side, normally no white wing patch.
VOICE: When agitated, a soft, short whistle and a clicking call, ‘yu tek, ye tek-tek’ ... ’. Song (often at night) a varied, loud, fast, short verse with mix of hoarse rasping sounds, clear deep notes and mimicry; verse begins a little haltingly, accelerates and is abruptly cut short; a recurrent variant resembles compressed version of Corn Bunting song.
_150x100.jpg)
