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THE BLACK REDSTART Phoenicurus ochruros immigrated to Sweden around the turn of the last century, however the great wave of expansion took place from the late 1940s until the 1980s. The early expansion was considered to mainly comprise inexperienced young birds, which extended their spring migration and pioneered the northern areas. In this study I investigate the proportion of first-year (2CY) singing males in Swedish populations and compare this with data from core areas in Germany and Austria. The proportion of first-year singing males was around 50% in all of the populations, in Sweden as well as in central Europe. However, only a few first-year males returned to their Swedish natal area. Perhaps the similar age distribution between the populations indicates an apparent stability in age structure in the Swedish populations. In addition to the territorial males in western Sweden, there are sporadically occurring individuals, which have been attributed to a so-called floating population. Whether the current turnover of young birds in Sweden originates from continental populations, or more nearby areas in Scandinavia, is unknown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

WHITE-SPOTTED BLUETHROAT Luscinia svecica cyanecula is the latest addition to the Swedish bird fauna, with the first breeding in Scania in 2015. There were only three records on the Swedish West Coast north of Scania through 2016 and the first breeding was reported in 2018. Censuses performed in 2020 and 2021 revealed 12 and 17 singing males, respectively. Out of 39 singing males 2017-2021, 36 were found in Halland. Most birds were found in coastal wetlands with reedbeds, to which they arrived mainly in April. Nine males represented breeding pairs and second clutches were later observed for four breeding pairs. The Swedish expansion should be seen in the context of Danish immigration in combination with a large-scale advance via the Netherlands and Germany. The White-spotted Bluethroat belongs to those range-expanding taxa that are expected to increase due to warmer climate. As there is plenty of appropriate habitats, not least rapeseed fields, the conditions favour a continued range expansion in southern Sweden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]