Bluethroat

Scientific Name: Luscinia svecica
Maltese Name: Kudiross Blu
Family: Thrushes and Chats (Turdidae)
Occurence: Scarce
Breeds in Malta: No

Overview:
A bird of wetlands and reedbeds, the Bluethroat is a handsome bird with a distinctive blue throat as it name implies. It has a bold white stripe over its eye, dark brown upperparts and rather plain wings. It also has rufous patch on each side of tail. Females are browner, with very little blue on their chest. It forages the ground close to cover picking up insects, seeds and also berries. It builds a small grass cup in low bush where it lays 5 to 7 eggs. Males have a beautiful musical song which it sings from a perch in dense watersides cover. Breeds in central, northern and north-east countries in Europe and migrates to Africa in autumn.

Status:
Scarce visitor, usually seen in singles or pairs at one location.

When to See:
Is recorded both in autumn and spring, in very low numbers. Occasionally appears in winter also.

Where to See:
Simar Nature Reserve is certainly the best place to have a chance to get a glimpse of this bird, as there's its preferred habitat. Otherwise it can be possibly seen in valleys with a lot of cover wth Lunzjata Valley in Gozo being a good example.

Photographs:

Adult Male Bluethroat, Lunzjata Valley Gozo


Female Bluethroat, 2nd April 1999, Simar Nature Reserve	Young Male Bluethroat, 2nd October 1988, Ghadira Nature Reserve

Adult Male Bluethroat, 12th December 2010, Simar Nature Reserve

Back to Bird Species List