Sinirinta
Sinirinta
Bluethroat
Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica): the throat and breast of the male bird are bright blue, and in the middle of the blue area there is a rust coloured patch. The female does not have the bright colours of the male, although some blue has been observed in older female birds. The bluethroat can be recognized irrespective of its plumage by a white streak above the eye and a rust area at the base of the tail, which can be seen in flight. On the ground, the bluethroat has a hopping movement resembling that of the thrush with its wings extended in a hanging position.
The bluethroat is found mainly in Forest and Fell Lapland, and the world's densest concentration of this bird is found in the lush mountain birch stands of Malla and Saana Fells in the municipality of Kilpisjärvi. The populations of bluethroats have suffered severe decreases over recent decades. The exact reason for this is not known, but possibly stoats and weasels are robbing their nests, which are situated on the ground, in years when moles and lemmings are scarce.
The bluethroat is a fine songbird and is in fact known as the nightingale of Lapland. In addition to its own song, it is also able to imitate the songs of other birds; in its song snatches of the calls of over forty other species of bird have been identified. It nests in the mountain birch belt and in the wet, open willow and mountain birch brush of the fells. It builds its nest on the ground, in a tussock or in the protection of a bush. The nest is in the form of a deep bowl made from grasses. On average, the bluethroat female lays six eggs, the first in early June, and it can continue laying eggs until mid-July. The hatching period is about two weeks, and the young remain in the nest for about two weeks. The young birds leave the nest although they are still unable to fly in order to escape predators. The bluethroat feeds mostly on insects and, in autumn, berries.
The bluethroat is a migratory bird. It reaches Lapland after the middle of May, with the males arriving at the nesting grounds a few days before the females. They leave for their winter habitat in South-East Asia in August and September.
