Pied Bushchat (Saxicola caprata)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Saxicola ("stone dweller") caprata (local name for species in Luzon)

Adult male Pied Bush Chat (subspecies S. c. burmanicus) at Florican Grasslands, Cambodia - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: Saxicola caprata burmanicus
Weight: 14-26g  /  Length: 13-14cm  /  Wingspan: 21-23cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Pied Bushchat is a relations of the stonechats - a small black and white ground feeding bird native to Southern Asia.  It seems to have fairly similar habits to the stonechats that are more familiar to me - forgaging on the ground while occassionally popping up onto an exposed perch.  The female is a much drabber bird than the male, being coloured in browns.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Muscicapidae
Genus: Saxicola
SUBSPECIES: S. c. caprata, S. c. rossorum, S. c. bicolor, S. c. burmanicus, S. c. nilgiriensis, S. c. atratus, S. c. randi, S. c. anderseni, S. c. fruticola, S. c. francki, S. c. pyrrhonotus, S. c. albonotatus, S. c. cognatus, S. c. belensis, S. c. aethiops, S. c. wahgiensis

 - Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer: ពពិចថ្នខ្មៅចុងខ្នង ស ("Black-backed white-end")

 A Wintering migrant

SINGAPORE / CAMBODIA 2019 TRIP - A male seen at Florican Grassland Reserve, pair at Phnom Krom

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Stejneger's Stonechat (Saxicola stejnegeri)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Saxicola ("stone dweller") stejnegeri (honouring naturalist Leonhard Hess Stejneger)

Adult male Stejneger's Stonechat (Saxicola stejnegeri) at Florican Grasslands, Cambodia - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 17g  /  Length: 11.5-cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated 

Stejneger's Stonechat is a recent and sequential taxonomic split in the Stonechat complex - initially the entire bunch was considered to be a single species; the Common Stonechat, but genetic analysis first split the Siberian (and other's away) and then later, Stejneger's from the Siberian.  The Stejneger's represents the range of the complex in East Asia, breeding in the far North of Asia including Russia, Korea and Japan, and Wintering in South East Asia and Southern China such as Cambodia where I saw this bird; a very impressive migration of a minimum of around 2000 miles each way to get to that spot!

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Muscicapidae
Genus: Saxicola
SUBSPECIES: N/A

 - Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer: ពពិចថ្មទ្រូងត្នោត ("Brown stone chestnut")

A Wintering migrant

SINGAPORE / CAMBODIA 2019 TRIP - A male seen at Florican Grassland Reserve

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Saxicola ("stone dweller") macularius (species specific name)

Adult female Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra) at Rainham Marshes RSPB, London - July 2011

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 16-24g  /  Length: 12-14cm  /  Wingspan: 22cm

UK AMBER LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Whinchats are one of the least common of the chat species found in the UK, found in much lower densities than species such as wheatear or stoenchat. Like wheatears, they are a summer migrant, returning to Winter in Africa. Normally found on the north and west, this individual turned up at Rainham marshes. They are identified by the prominant white eyestripe, the rusty coloured chest and brown back.  I encountered my second individual in Italy, where it was presumably on passage along Capo Murro di Porco.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Muscicapidae
Genus: Saxicola
Subspecies: none - monotypic

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A fairly numerous but very local breeding Summer migrant (approx. 47,000 pairs)

 - A passage female seen at Rainham Marshes RSPB in July 2011.

ITALY - Italian - stiaccino

A passage migrant
 - SICILY 2018 TRIP - Passage migrant at Capo Murro di Porco

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola)

OTHER NAMES: Stonechat

Latin Etymology: Saxicola ("stone dweller") rubicola ("ruddy")

Adult male European Stonechat (subspecies S. r. hiberans) at Frampton Marshes, Lincolnshire - February 2022

Featured Subspecies: Saxicola rubicola hiberans

Weight: 13-17g  /  Length: 12-13cm  /  Wingspan: 20cm

UK GREEN LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The European Stonechat is a great example of a locally common bird - in unsuitable habitat it will be rare or absent, but in the sorts of places it favours - heath, moor, marsh and coast it can easily be one of the most abundant species  I've seen it in many of the habitats I've visited, from the grassy dunes on Lindisfarne to the Cheviot Hills to the Marshes at Rainham. I haven't quite managed to pick a common theme beyond somewhere with a decent amount of ground cover. Quite bold, it likes singing from perches, and can often be easy to photograph.  Many authorities have split it from the the Siberian Stonechat and the Canary Island Stonechat, but this isn't necessarily reflected everywhere, but for now I will keep them separate.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Muscicapidae
Genus: Saxicola
Subspecies: S. r. hiberans, S. r. rubicola

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Locally common breeding resident (59,000 pairs)

 - Birds seen at sites including Trevose Head, Rainham Marshes, Ditchford Gravel Pits and Keswick.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto
.