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Recordings
Length
24.0 cm
Information
Common passage migrant; rare summer visitor; has bred in Kuwait. One of the more beautiful tropical birds to fly north for breeding in temperate woodlands. During nesting it is extremely secretive save for its exotic flute-like song.
Where in Kuwait
With its bright yellow plumage, this species is an incredibly striking bird. During passage it favours tall trees and mature habitat, but is also recorded at inland pools.
In the world
It has an extremely large range with a population that is suspected to be stable, despite shooting across most of its migratory flyways. It breeds throughout Europe and parts of Asia. It migrates to parts of central Africa for winter, travelling as far south as Kenya and Tanzania. The positioning of its toes, with one pointing backward and three pointing forward, allows it to grip branches with ease. Despite its bright plumage, this species is often surprisingly well-hidden amongst dense foliage, but its distinctive, flute-like, whistling song often reveals its location.
Local threats
This colourful species is heavily persecuted and killed during passage migration by most shooters.