General

Stonechat: Small thrush with black back and white rump. Underparts are white except for orange breast. Head is black and collar is white. Wings are black with white stripes. Tail is black. Female is paler overall with brown head and buff rump. Juvenile resembles female.

Range and Habitat

Stonechat: It has a scattered distribution across much of sub-Saharan Africa, occurring locally as far north as Senegal and Ethiopia. Outlying populations are found the mountains of southwest Arabia and on Madagascar and Grande Comore. It is non-migratory, moving only locally if at all. Prefers open grassland, fynbos shrub-land, swamp edges and cultivated land.

Breeding and Nesting

Stonechat: Five to eight green blue eggs marked with red brown are laid in a nest made of grass, moss, plant stems, and wool, lined with hair, wool, and feathers, and built in deep grass, heather, or under a bush. Incubation ranges from 14 to 15 days and is carried out by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Stonechat: Forages for insects on the ground, also gleans from vegetation.

Readily Eats

Raisins, Currants, Nut Meal

Vocalization

Stonechat: Song is a harsh "tchack", like two stones being struck together. Call is a short, squeaky "tsk-tsk-tsk." Also has a variable twittering trill.

Similar Species

Stonechat: Rare vagrant and other similar species are also rare vagrants.