There are two forms of this species, one in which the blue throat exhibits a red spot, and the other in which the blue throat exhibits a white spot. The former form is found breeding in Northern Europe and Siberia, wintering chiefly in South Asia and North-Eastern Africa; while the latter breeds in Central Europe south of the Baltic. The females and young of the two forms are practically indistinguishable. It seems probable that a few examples of this species occur annually on migration along our eastern coasts, but much more numerously in some years than in others. These visitors are for the most part immature, and until recently all the adult males that had been taken belonged to the northern or red-spotted form. During the last five years, however, two examples of the white-spotted form have been obtained on the Sussex coast. There is a variety of the white-spotted form in which the throat is unspotted, but it has not yet been satisfactorily identified in this country.

When on migration they will generally be found skulking in hedges and undergrowth near the coast.

The male has the upper parts of a warm brown. There is a white stripe passing through the eye; the upper tail coverts and bases of the tail feathers bright bay, rest of tail dark brown. Chin, throat, and gorget brilliant ultramarine blue, succeeded by bands of black, white, and bay; rest of under parts whitish. In the female the whole of the under parts are whitish with a brownish band across the chest. The young in first plumage is not unlike a young Redbreast, but has bases of the tail feathers bay. Length 5·3 in.; wing 2·85 in.

The name suecica refers strictly to the red-spotted form, the white-spotted form having been named wolfi by C. L. Brehm in 1822.