Afghanistan (P), Albania (B), Algeria, Armenia (B), Austria (B), Azerbaijan (B) (P), Bahrain, Belarus (B), Belgium (B), Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Bulgaria (B), Burundi, Chad, China (mainland), Congo [The Democratic Republic of the], Croatia (Local Name: Hrvatska) (B), Cyprus, Czech Republic (B), Denmark (B) (P), Egypt, Eritrea, Estonia (B), Ethiopia, Finland (B) (P), France (B) (NB) (P), Georgia (B), Germany (B) (P), Ghana, Greece (B) (NB) (P), Hungary (B) (NB), India, Iran [Islamic Republic of] (B), Iraq (P), Ireland (B), Israel, Italy (B) (P), Jordan (P), Kazakhstan (B), Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan (B), Latvia (B), Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Lithuania (B), Luxembourg (B), Macedonia [The Former Yugoslav Republic of] (B) (NB), Malawi, Malta (NB), Mauritania, Moldova [Republic of] (B) (NB), Montenegro (B), Morocco, Mozambique, Netherlands Antilles (B) (NB), Nigeria, Norway (B), Oman, Pakistan, Poland (B), Portugal (NB), Qatar, Romania (B), Russia (Asian) (B), Russia (Central Asian) (B), Russia (European) (B), Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia (B), Slovakia (Slovak Republic) (B), Slovenia (B) (NB), South Africa, Spain (B) (NB), Sudan, Sweden (B), Switzerland (B), Tajikistan, Tanzania [United Republic of], Tunisia, Turkey (B), Ukraine (B) (NB), United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom (B), Uzbekistan (B), Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Vagrant to Cameroon, Côte dIvoire, Djibouti, Faroe Islands, Gambia, Greenland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Mali, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Seychelles, Somalia, St Helena, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Uganda.
British Is and Spain eastern across southern Scandinavia, northern Mediterranean and Balkans to western and central Russia, Caucasus and Iran, continuing to Kazakhstan, south-western Siberia (Suva) and north-western China (western Xinjiang). Winters from Mediterranean and Middle East south to western Africa, and from Ethiopia south to South Africa and west to Angola and Namibia; Pakistan, India and western Myanmar; irregularly on south-western Caspian Sea.
Population
Estimated population is 100,000 - 1,000,000 (2010).
The Reader's Digest Book of British Birds 1980, 3rd Edition, Drive Publications Ltd ISBN 0 340 25308 8
Birds in Colour Campbell, B., 1960, Penguin Books Ltd
The Pocket Guide to Nest and Eggs Fitter, R.S.R., 1954, Collins
RSPB Handbook of British Birds Holden, P., Cleeves, T., 2002, A & C Black ISBN 0 7136 5713 8
Birds of Britain and Europe Sterry, P., et al., 2001, AA Publishing ISBN 0 7495 3068 5
The Popular Handbook of British Birds Hollom, P.A.D., 1973, H.F. & G. Witherby Ltd ISBN 0 85493 002 7
BirdLife International Species Factsheet