Field Guide
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Whinchat
Saxicola rubetra
Not yet photographed by the community
Summer visitor; orange breast and white eye stripe.
Species Profile
Amber List (declining breeding population)
- Lifespan
- 3–5 years in the wild
- Size & Weight
- 12–13 cm, wingspan 21–24 cm; 14–18 g
- Habitat
- Open grassland, heathland, and rough scrubland with scattered bushes and low vegetation for perching and nesting.
- UK Distribution
- Summer breeding visitor to the UK, arriving April–May and departing August–September. Found across England, Wales, and southern Scotland, with strongholds in upland areas and the Midlands. Rare in winter.
- Diet
- Primarily insects and invertebrates including beetles, flies, grasshoppers, spiders, and small caterpillars, caught both on the ground and in flight.
- Prey
- Beetles, flies, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera larvae, grasshoppers, spiders
- Predators
- Sparrowhawks, hobbies, jackdaws, magpies, and foxes; corvids may predate eggs and chicks
- Mating Season
- April to August
- Breeding
- Clutch of 4–6 eggs; incubation period 12–13 days; fledging at 12–13 days. Typically single-brooded but may raise a second brood if first is lost.
- Behaviour
- Highly territorial males sing from prominent perches and display with characteristic wing-and-tail flicking. Often hovers briefly before dropping to catch ground prey. Solitary and bold in defending breeding territories.
- •Males have distinctive orange-buff breast and white eyebrow stripe, making them striking in spring plumage
- •The name 'whinchat' derives from 'whin' (gorse) and 'chat' (a small bird), reflecting its preference for gorse-covered habitats
- •They are long-distance migrants, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa and returning to the same breeding territories year after year
- •Whinchat populations have declined by over 50% in the UK since the 1990s, primarily due to habitat loss and intensified grassland management
- •Both sexes respond to playback of song and may adopt threatening postures with wings drooped and tail fanned
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