Birds in Bulgaria

L 15½-17 cm. Breeds in rocky terrain, on sheer cliff faces with some vegetation and nearby water, at 1000-3000 m altitude. Lives in inaccessible sites, is hard to see. Found at lower levels in winter, sometimes on buildings and in quarries; then not too shy. Food insects. Nests in cliff crevice.
IDENTIFICATION: The Hoopoe of the rock face! When creeping over a cliff wall it can, with its grey and black colours (blood-red of wing only glimpsed), elude observation, but when shifting position the broad, rounded wings are spread, gaudily marked with red, black and white above. Flight fluttering and jerky, with brief glides. - male summer: Throat and breast all black. Much red on wing. - female summer: Throat greyish-white with smaller grey-black central patch. Less red on wing. - Winter: Throat/breast pale greyish-white.
VOICE: Rather silent. Song drawn-out, kind of strained whistles with glissando and with typical pattern in which one note rises, then one falls, ‘tu... rruuüh... ziiiüu …’.