Stonechat, Saxicola torquata

Stonechats are robin sized birds. Males have striking black heads with white around the side of their neck, orange-red breasts and a mottled brown back. Females lack the male's black head, but have brown backs and an orange tinge to their chests. Birds are frequently seen flicking their wings while perched, often doing so on the tops of low bushes. As its name suggests, birds utter a sharp loud call that sound like two stones being tapped together.

According to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the species is not faring too badly in the UK, but it is doing less well on the continent and is of European conservation concern, making it an Amber List species.

Stonechats nest on the ground (occasionally higher) in vegetation or under gorse bushes on lowland heaths, gorse rich coastal sites or new conifer plantations.

Food

Invertebrates, seeds and fruit (e.g. blackberries).

Habitat
Open country, plains and hillsides with scattered trees, bushes and scrub, rocks walls and fences. Often in heathland, sand-dunes with bushes and on top of low coastal cliffs in gorse and other scrub.

Distribution
Breeds in the British Isles (commonest in north and west), France, Spain and Italy and east to the Ukraine, Balkans and Greece, Turkey and the Caucasus. Also breeds on most larger Mediterranean islands and in North-West Africa. A separate population breeds in northern Russia and the Urals. The first recorded breeding in Sweden took place in 2000.

Resident or partial migrant in west and south of range but more strongly migratory from the Netherlands eastwards. Winters around the Mediterranean, in North Africa and the Middle East. Passage birds occur in the Canary Islands.

Vagrants recorded north to Iceland, Faroes and Sweden, also on Madeira.

Interesting Statistics

Eggs: 4-6
Incubation: 13-14 days
Fledging: 12-16 days
Maximum lifespan: 6 years
Length: 12.5cm (5in)
Wingspan: 18-21cm (7-8.25in)
Weight: 13-17g (0.45-0.6 ounces)

Taxonomy

Superkingdom: Eukaryota; Kingdom: Metazoa; Phylum: Chordata; Subphylum: Craniata; Superclass: Gnathostomata; Class: Aves; Superorder: Neognathae; Order: Passeriformes; Family: Turdidae; Genus: Saxicola; Species: torquata

Because of my laziness in updating this page, the Stonechat has been identified by two site visitors, whom I would all like to thank greatly for their help:

Hans Groen, the Netherlands;
Cees de Vries, Biologist, the Netherlands.

Most of the information on this page has been obtained from Eurobirding and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.