Adult male - Marievale, Nigel. All images copyright Simply Birding.
Adult female - Marievale, Nigel. All images copyright Simply Birding.
Juvenile - Marievale, Nigel. All images copyright Simply Birding.
African Stonechat
Saxixola torquatus- Habitat:Grassland and scrub, usually near wetlands.
- Diet: Insects.
- Status: Common breeding resident. Altitudinal migrant in some areas.
- Calls: Song consists of 6 - 10 beautiful whistles mixed with some scratchy notes in phrases separated by pauses. Seldom mimics other birds. Contact and alarm consists of a short piercing tsee note followed by one or two tsik notes.
- Similar looking: Males are distinctive with their chestnut chest, black head and upper parts and white belly and sides of neck. Females may superficially resemble Whinchat but always show a white rump vs. the brown rump of Whinchat. Juveniles have a brown rump but are way too heavily mottled to be mistaken for Whinchat.
- Similar sounding: Buff-streaked Chat and Rock Thrushes but phrases are shorter and more musical. Similar to Mountain Wheatear but found in different habitat. Does not mimic extensively like the similar sounding Capped Wheatear. Some slight resemblance to the calls of canaries and some Larks (fawn-coloured).
Fun facts
The African Stonechat gets its name from its feeding and nesting behaviour. Favouring stoney areas when feeding it literally "lives" amongst the stones.
Although not the main host, African Stonechat may sometimes fall victim to paricitization by Red-chested Cuckoo.
ID pitfalls
Males are very distinctive. The females based on size, habitat, chat-like shape and white rump in flight should pose no major problems. The juveniles sometimes cause excitement resembling a vagrant Whinchat, but by the time the heavy mottling is gone, the rump is white and will rule out any chance of a Whinchat.
Where to find one
Common and obvious throughout its range. Easily found in grassland areas near water although may range quite far from water too.