Photo: Åsa Berndtsson / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Bluethroat
Luscinia svecica
Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 18 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 17.2 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Muscicapidae Chats, Old World Flycatchers
- Genus Luscinia
- Species svecica
Quick facts
- Weight
- 17.2 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Bluethroat is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.
Migration
The Bluethroat is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica) is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL widespread, also w Alaska.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 17.2 g, with a wing length of about 7.3 cm and a tail of around 5 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 19.9 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Bluethroat?
The Bluethroat is a small bird that weighs around 17.2 g.
Where does the Bluethroat live?
The Bluethroat is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL widespread, also w Alaska, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Bluethroat belong to?
The Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Bluethroat eat?
The Bluethroat is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Bluethroat migrate?
The Bluethroat is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Bluethroat endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Bluethroat make?
1 real field recording of the Bluethroat — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Bluethroat's range?
The Bluethroat has a mapped global range of about 19.9 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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A field guide to the Muscicapidae family — 355 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.