The bluethroat is a member of the chat family and like the larger thrushes, falls under the scientific umbrella of Turdidae. Turdus in Latin means thrush. There are some 300 different species of chats and thrushes within the Turdidae family.
luethroat: A Bird of Intricate Beauty and Melodious Song
May 12, 2023 by Kieu Trinh
The bluethroat is a member of the chat family and like the larger thrushes, falls under the scientific umbrella of Turdidae. Turdus in Latin means thrush. There are some 300 different species of chats and thrushes within the Turdidae family.
Bluethroat
What does a Bluethroat look like?
The bluethroat is a small, slim songbird. In breeding plumage the adult male has predominantly dark brown upper parts with much lighter greyish brown underparts. Wings are a plain mid brown in colour and the upper tail is dark grey bordered by a rufous patch at either side of the uppertail. A bold white stripe extends across the supercilium over the eye. Immediately below the lower mandible the chin and throat is a deep blue with a rufous red upward turned crescent shape, dividing the blue patch in the region of the upper breast. At the base of the blue patch there is a thin black and white band with a further rufous or orange brown area below morphing to the light grey of the remaining underparts. The legs are long and thin and coloured dark brown to black. The eyes are a dark brown and the bill black. In the non breeding plumage the adult male is similar although the distinct blue and rufous throat and coloured upper breast are far less obvious, being obscured by the pale tips of feathers. In general, the adult female replicates the non breeding colours of the male with the addition of white cheeks, a pale throat and with a dark breast band frequently spotted blue. Juveniles are mainly a dark brown on the upperparts, head and breast, streaked with buff to rufous markings and remaining underparts a pale grey. The rump and base of the tail is shaded rust red.
Bluethroat singing
What does a Bluethroat sound like?
A master at mimicry the bluethroat has a powerful and melodious song often repeated and interspersed with short notes and softer lengthened trills. It frequently mimics other species of bird resident within its immediate area.
Close up of a Bluethroat
What does a Bluethroat eat?
The bluethroat forages on the ground, usually under dense cover and amongst leave litter to feed on small insects, caterpillars, spiders and insect larvae but also takes seeds and berries, although mainly in the autumn.
Female Bluethroat
