Bluethroat

Luscinia svecica

With its prominent blue bib, this small thrush turns heads across diverse habitats from Europe to Asia.

Visual Identification

Appearance

The Bluethroat is a small, robin-sized bird with a distinctive appearance. Males have brilliant blue throats and breasts, bordered by bands of black, white, and rusty orange. The upperparts are brown, contrasting with a white eyebrow and reddish tail sides.

Females lack the blue throat. Instead, they have a pale throat and breast with dark spotting. Juveniles are similar to females but with additional spotting on the upperparts.

Size

Length

13cm to 14cm

Wingspan

20cm to 22cm

Weight

16g to 22g

Colours

Male Female

Primary Colour

Blue Orange White

Secondary Colour

Brown Grey

Beak Colour

Black

Leg Colour

Brown

Primary Colour (Female)

Brown White

Secondary Colour (Female)

Grey

Beak Colour (Female)

Black

Leg Colour (Female)

Brown

Habitat and Distribution

Habitats

Woodland

The Bluethroat is not typically found in Woodland habitats.

Garden

The Bluethroat is not typically found in Garden habitats.

Wetland

The Bluethroat can be found in Wetland habitats.

Coastal

The Bluethroat is not typically found in Coastal habitats.

Urban

The Bluethroat is not typically found in Urban habitats.

Farmland

The Bluethroat is not typically found in Farmland habitats.

Grassland

The Bluethroat can be found in Grassland habitats.

Desert

The Bluethroat is not typically found in Desert habitats.

Tundra

The Bluethroat can be found in Tundra habitats.

Rainforest

The Bluethroat is not typically found in Rainforest habitats.

Mountain

The Bluethroat is not typically found in Mountain habitats.

Savanna

The Bluethroat is not typically found in Savanna habitats.

Distribution

Bluethroats inhabit a wide range of moist habitats, including Arctic tundra, wetlands, and alpine meadows. During the breeding season, they're found across northern Europe and Asia, extending into Alaska.

In winter, they migrate to southern Europe, Africa, and southern Asia. They're rare visitors in the UK, mainly seen during spring and autumn migrations along the east coast.

Elevation Range

Sea level to 2,000 meters

Climate zones

Subarctic, Temperate, Continental

Distribution Map

This map gives you a rough idea of where you might spot a Bluethroat. The coloured areas show countries where these birds have been seen.

A few things to keep in mind:

Birds might not be everywhere in the coloured areas, for example, they may be present around the coast of that country
Where birds live can change with seasons and available food
This map is quite simple - it doesn't show exact locations

We're working on making our maps even better! Soon, we hope to show you:

More detailed maps for bigger countries, including state and region
How birds move around during different seasons