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Whinchat
(Saxicola rubetra)
German name(s): "Braunkehlchen"
Size: 12-14 cm
Weight: 13-26 g
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Physical description |
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Click here for a physical description
Whinchats are small robin-like birds.
Their plumage is
dimorphic, i.e.
males and
females
are slightly different.
Males
Whinchats have a dark chocolate- or coffee-brown crown streaked
with white and very prominent broad white supercilia. The
chin and chest are orange-buff, while the rest of the front
(belly, vent, undertail coverts) is white to off-white.
The back and mantle are the same dark chocolate brown as
the head, with broad light-brown edges on the wing coverts.
The flight feathers and the tail are entirely dark brown.
Females
are a lighter shade of dark-brown. Especially the sides of the
head are lighter than the males' and the
supercilia, chin, sides of the neck and chest are light-brown to
buff. Not only the wing coverts have light-brown to buff edge
lining, but the tail and flight feathers also have thin light-brown
leading edges.
The irises of both sexes are dark-brown. The straight slender bill
is dark-grey. The legs and feet are also dark-grey.
Juveniles
have a plainer plumage
than adults,
with some streaking on the chest.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Whinchat
at Wikipedia .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed based
on sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to the
ebird.org
website.
The global distribution of the Whinchat is available
HERE
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Whinchats are a migratory Eurasian species of small "Old World
Flycatchers". Apart from a few small patches, Whinchats do not
breed in western and south-western Europe, except northern
England and Scotland. Their breeding grounds are mainly in
central, northern, eastern and south-eastern Europe, from
Germany to the North of the Alps and basically all of
Scandinavia (except a small coastal fringe in the North)
eastward via the Balkans, the northern coastline of the
Black Sea and the area around the Caucasus mountains into
western and central Asia up to about the river Ob, including
high geographic latitudes.
Everywhere else in Europe, northern Africa, Asia Minor, the
Middle East, and around the Caspian Sea into central Asia
they can be found during their migration.
They spend the northern winters in tropical sub-Saharan Africa,
with a small population also staying on the north-western African
coastal fringe.
With some exceptions, Whinchats are found only as breeding
migrants in all mountainous regions of Europe and in eastern,
northern and south-eastern Europe. Elsewhere on the continent
they are found only during migration.
Whinchats have a preference for grassland, rough pasture, heath
or bracken with scattered shrubs. They can be found in lush
pasture, too.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
D. Wilczynska reports first spotting a pair of Whinchats near
Brok, on the river Bug, Masovia, Poland, in May 2016, and in
Biebrza NP, Poland, in May 2017.
All photographic and audio information presented on
this page has kindly been contributed by D. Wilczynska.
S. Cuturilov reports spotting a Whinchat on Zlatibor
mountain, south-western Serbia, in June 2017.
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Photos |
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ADULT |
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MALE |
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Lateral view of a male Whinchat; note the white supercilia
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Biebrza NP, Poland, May 2017]
Lateral view of a male Whinchat (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, May 2016]
Near-dorsal view of a male Whinchat (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, May 2016]
Dorsal view of a male Whinchat (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, May 2016]
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FEMALE |
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Pair of Whinchats; male on the left, female on the right
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, May 2016]
Frontal view of a female Whinchat (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, May 2016]
Near-lateral view of a female Whinchat (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, May 2016]
Lateral view of a female Whinchat (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, May 2016]
Lateral view of a female Whinchat (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, May 2016]
Pair of Whinchats; male below, female above with drooping
wings as often seen in robins (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, May 2016]
Pair of Whinchats; male below, female above (photo courtesy of
D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, May 2016]
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Food, Diet |
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Whinchats are mostly insectivores, but may take fruit or berries
in autumn.
Pair of Whinchats; male on the left, female on the right -
the male has caught a caterpillar (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, May 2016]
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Call(s)/Song |
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For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own; are welcome.
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.