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Bluethroat Identification

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Adult Description

  • Small songbird.
  • Gray back.
  • White belly.
  • Chestnut patch at base of tail.
  • Male has blue throat with red center, female has white throat with a blue band across the bottom.
  • Skulks in shrubs.

Male Description

Breeding (Alternate) Plumage: Grayish brown upperparts and whitish underparts with bright blue bib (chin and throat) with bar or rounded triangular rufous patch in center. Bib bordered below by narrow black-and-white band and broad rufous band.
Nonbreeding (Basic) Plumage: Similar except colorful markings on chin, throat, and breast are obscured by pale feather-tips.

Female Description

Whitish throat bordered below by necklace of dark streaks and spots, dark lateral throat-stripe, and white moustache stripe. Some females have limited blue and rufous markings on throat and breast.

Immature Description

Juvenile blackish with many buff spots on back, buff with dark brown spots on underparts, giving a scaly look. Immature similar to adult of same sex, but less well marked.

Relative Size

Relative Sizesparrow or smallersparrow-sized or smaller

Measurements

  • Both Sexes