Stonechat, Roodborsttapuit, Schwarzkehlchen, Cartaxo-comum, Tarabilla comun
Spotted at Monte Horizonte in the Alentejo region of Portugal Stonechat sound
The European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola) is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a subspecies of the Common Stonechat. Long considered a member of the thrush family Turdidae, genetic evidence has placed it and its relatives in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae.
More photos at the bottom of this page.
It is 11.5–13 cm long and weighs 13–17 g, slightly smaller than the European Robin. Both sexes have distinctively short wings, shorter than those of the more migratory Whinchat and Siberian Stonechat.
The summer male has black upperparts, a black head, an orange throat and breast, and a white belly and vent. It also has white half-collar on the sides of its neck, a small white scapular patch on the wings, and a very small white patch on the rump often streaked with black. The female has brown upperparts and head, and no white neck patches, rump or belly, these areas being streaked dark brown on paler brown, the only white being the scapular patch on the wings and even this often being buffy-white.
European Stonechats breed in heathland, coastal dunes and rough grassland with scattered small shrubs and bramble, open gorse, tussocks or heather. They are short-distance migrants or non-migratory, with part of the population (particularly from northeastern parts of the range, where winters are colder) moving south to winter further south in Europe and more widely in north Africa.
The male’s song is high and twittering like a Dunnock. Both sexes have a clicking call like stones knocking together.
Other synonyms:
Afrikaans: Bontrokkie
Asturian: Charchar
Breton: Ar strakig-lann, Bistrakig-lann
Catalan: Bitxac comú, Bitxac rogenc, Vitrac
Catalan (Balears): Vitrac
Welsh: Clef y garreg, Clegr y garreg, Clochdar cerrig, Clochdar y cerrig, Clochdar y garreg, Clochder y cerrig, Crec penddu’r eithin, Crec y garreg, Crec yr eithin, Tinwen y garreg, Tinwen y graig
Danish: Sortstrubet Bynkefugl
German: Schwarzkehlchen, Schwarzkehlchen-rubicola
English: Common stonechat, European Common Stonechat, European Stonechat, Stonechat, Stonechat (European)
Spanish: Tarabilla Comun, Tarabilla Común
Estonian: euroopa kaelustäks, Kaelustäks
Basque: Pitxartxar burubeltz
Finnish: Mustapäätasku
Faroese: Svartstólpa
French: Tarier pâtre, Traquet pâtre
Irish: Caipín aitinn, Caislín ceann-dubh, Caislín Cloch, Caislín dearg
Gaelic: Clacharan
Galician: Chasco común
Manx: Boid y chonnee, Claghan ny gleigh, Kione Dhoo y Eeigyn
Hungarian: Cigány-csaláncsúcs, Cigánycsuk
Icelandic: Hagaskvetta
Italian: Saltimpalo, Saltimpalo comune
Japanese: Nishi no-bitaki, nishinobitaki, no-bitaki
Cornish: Chekker
Latin: Saxicola rubicola, Saxicola rubicola armenica, Saxicola rubicola rubicola, Saxicola torquata, Saxicola torquata armenica, Saxicola torquata rubicola, Saxicola torquata torquata, Saxicola torquatus rubicola, Saxicola torquatus rubicola/hibernans
Malagasy: Fitadroranga, Fitatra
Dutch: Roodborsttapuit
Norwegian: Afrikasvartstrupe, Svartstrupe
Portuguese: cartaxo comum, Cartaxo-comum
Romansh: puppennair
Scots: Clacharan
Slovenian: prosnik
Albanian: Ceku kokëzi
Serbian: crnoglava travarka
Swedish: Svarthakad buskskvätta
Swahili: Mhozo Kichwa-cheusi
Travel Birdwatching Holiday Alentejo, Vacation Portugal for birders to see birds on your trip.