Gould wrote 'It would be very interesting could we ascertain whether the various little ornithological strangers that have of late been detected in England have crossed from the Continent, or if they are the offspring of others which have arrived at an early part of the year, bred, and again departed unnoticed...Three specimens only have been captured in Britain, namely, one near Falmouth, and two on the Scilly Isles.'

DISTRIBUTION: Breeds Eurasia from Denmark, southern Sweden south to Austria, Romania and Bulgaria eastwards across Siberia to Altai and Mongolia. Winters in south Asia and Borneo, rarely in northeast Africa. In recent years regularly seen in Britain, mainly in the autumn