Places and times seen in Munakata city

In Munakata it is a winterbird, from October to mid-May, it can be observed around the agricultural lands, parks and satoyama around the city.
As it is said that "gathered bird = atri-ATRI," it is often a group. In Munakata, there are times when we have confirmed that hundreds of birds are gathered in the electric wire of the farmland.

Characteristic

It is 16 cm in length and bigger than sparrow.
The male is from the head to the top with a blue shiny black, part of the throat, the chest, part of the small and heavy rain coat becomes orange brown. The base of the first row wind cut, the lower surface below the belly are dirty white, and blackish brown vertical spots are beside aside. The spine is orange brown, with fine spots of gray brown or dark brown.
Females are orange-brown in head, with gray brown or blackish brown vertical spots.
Beak is orange-brown, its tip is dark brown, its legs are orange-brown, both sexes are white and waist is conspicuous when flying. At the time of migration, it may form a large group.

Habit

It flew from flatlands to mountains, forests, agricultural lands, rivers, grasslands, and many others flock and act, and in large robes it can be several tens of thousands. We eat grass trees on the trees and on the ground, and supplement the young birds of insects etc in the spring.
"Chewie", "Kyoto", "Jutsu" and so on.

distribution

Breeding in the Eurasian Continent and overwintering in Western Europe (including the Iberian Peninsula, Britain Island, Italy and Turkey), from Iran to Pakistan, and in the Philippines (Luzon Island), the Korean Peninsula, the northeastern China, Taiwan, .