- Lifespan
- 5–10 years in the wild
- Size & Weight
- 16–17 cm, wingspan 23–26 cm; 15–22 g
- Habitat
- Rocky coastal cliffs, stony shores, and breakwaters, typically on exposed maritime terrain with sparse vegetation.
- UK Distribution
- Found around the coastlines of Britain and Ireland, particularly abundant in Scotland and northern England. Resident year-round, though some populations are joined by continental migrants in winter.
- Diet
- Primarily small invertebrates including insects, spiders, and crustaceans, picked from rocks and shoreline debris.
- Prey
- Small insects, flies, springtails, tiny crustaceans, and spiders
- Predators
- Peregrines, merlins, sparrowhawks, and occasionally corvids and gulls
- Mating Season
- April to July
- Breeding
- Clutch size 4–5 eggs; incubation period 13–14 days; fledging at 12–14 days; typically two broods per season.
- Behaviour
- Highly terrestrial, spending much time on the ground and rarely perching high. Males perform a characteristic parachute display flight with legs dangling and tail fanned. Often seen running quickly over rocks or hovering briefly before diving to ground.