- Saxicola rubicola
Identification
Male
- Black head
- White half-collar
- Black back
- White rump
- Black tail
- Black wings with a large white patch on the top side of the inner wing
- Dark orange-red upper breast
- White or pale orange lower breast and belly
Females
- Brown above and on head
- Indistinct pale eyebrow line
- Chestnut-buff underparts
Distribution
Found in Europe (mainly S and W), Africa (including Madagascar), Russia and Siberia, Turkey, the Caucasus, the Himalayas, China, Japan and Korea.
Taxonomy
Two subspecies recognized:
- S. r. hibernans in Ireland, Britain, western France and Portugal
- S. r. rubicola in Europe, northwest Africa, Turkey and to the Caucasus
Formerly included in Common Stonechat together with African Stonechat and Siberian Stonechat.
Habitat
Open rough scrubland and rough grassland with scattered shrubs.
On migration may be found in drier areas.
Behaviour
Most often seen in pairs perched up on a stick or shrub. It flies down onto the ground, returning to the same perch. Often flicks its wings.
Diet
This species eats mainly insects and worms.
Breeding
The nest is well hidden inside a clump of vegetation and consists of an untidy bowl of grass and rootlets. It is lined neatly with rootlets and animal hairs.
References
- BirdLife International
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) European Stonechat. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 17 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/European_Stonechat
External Links
This link finds videos titled "European Stonechat"
