Birds · Passeriformes · Muscicapidae
European Stonechat
Saxicola rubicola
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary
A plump bird with a rounded head and short wings and tail, slightly smaller than a sparrow. The male has a black head and throat, a striking white half-collar on the sides of the neck and an intensely orange breast. The female replaces the black with brown and has a far less marked collar.
Weight
15 g on average
Size
12 cm – 13 cm
Lifespan
5 years
Diet
Insectivore
Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
In pairs
Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.
Sighting difficulty
Easy
Estimated population
Spain holds almost half the European population. The estimate in the Third Atlas cuts the breeding numbers by almost a million compared with the previous one
Fun facts
- GeneralIt watches from a high perch and drops to the ground to take insects.
- Its call is a dry repeated click, "chac-chac", that sounds like two stones being knocked together: hence the name "saxicola", which in Latin means dweller among the rocks.
- Its decline has two opposite causes acting at once: rural abandonment closes up the open spaces where it lives and agricultural intensification destroys those that remain.
- Although it is monogamous, cases of polygamy have been described.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
- Habitat & environment
- Low scrub, grassland and field margins
- Gestation / incubation
- 13-14 days, by the female alone, starting from the laying of the last egg
- Litter / clutch size
- 2-7 finely speckled bluish eggs, with up to three clutches a year between February and July
Sources consulted: SEO/BirdLife (ficha y III Atlas de las aves en época de reproducción en España); IUCN Red List; Asturnatura; Barcelo-Serra y Gordo 2022, III Atlas; BirdLife International 2015, European Red List of Birds; Keller et al. 2020; Bueno 1991, Ardeola 38
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapBest time: All year round; it is very conspicuous because it perches upright on top of bushes, fences and posts
Where to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 200 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with European Stonechat — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush
Monticola saxatilis
Spotted Flycatcher
Muscicapa striata
European Pied Flycatcher
Ficedula hypoleuca
Black Redstart
Phoenicurus ochruros
Black Wheatear
Oenanthe leucura
Blue Rock Thrush
Monticola solitarius
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about european stonechat.
Comments
Share an experience, a fun fact or a tip for seeing the european stonechat.
Be the first to comment.