Conservation status: Green
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. They breed in western and southern parts of the UK, but disperse more widely in winter.
Latin name
Saxicola torquata
Family
Chats and thrushes (Turdidae)
Where to see them
Heaths, conifer plantations or coastal sites, especially in southern and western counties.
When to see them
All year round
What they eat
Invertebrates, seeds and fruit (eg blackberries)
Population
| Europe | UK breeding* | UK wintering* | UK passage* | | - | 9,000-23,000 pairs | - | - |