Male Stonechat

A male stonechat poses beautifully on a lichen covered branch in warm late afternoon sunshine. Lincolnshire Coast, UK. As the name ‘Stonechat’ suggests, the birds sharp call sounds like two stones being tapped together.

Male Stonechat: About the Stonechat

Overview

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.Found in open meadows and marsh edges. Forages for insects on ground; also picks off vegetation.

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.

– Text quoted from https://identify.whatbird.com/obj/758/_/Stonechat.aspx