An annual migrant in varying numbers, mostly coastally in autumn, which means few birders see the barring which gives it the name, nor the bright yellow eye of adult males.
Breeding over much of temperate Asia, and most of Eastern Europe, the closest populations to the UK are in Scandinavia, but migration to Africa ensures 100-200 records annually. It is
not particularly secretive, but given the right habitat (scrub) on migration ensures it can remain unobserved for long periods. Birds on Shetland seem to be an exception, and often show well.
