Whinchat
Saxicola rubetra
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyMuscicapidae (Papamosques del Vell Món)
- GenusSaxicola (Stonechats and Bushchats)
- SpeciesSaxicola rubetra (Whinchat)
The whinchat (Saxicola rubetra) is a small migratory passerine bird breeding in Europe and western Asia and wintering in central Africa. At one time considered to be in the thrush family, Turdidae, it is now placed in the Old World flycatcher family, Muscicapidae. Both sexes have a strong supercilium, brownish upper parts mottled darker, a pale throat and breast, a pale buff to whitish belly, and a blackish tail with white bases to the outer tail feathers, but in the breeding season, the male has an orange-buff throat and breast. The whinchat is a solitary species, favouring open grassy country with rough vegetation and scattered small shrubs. It perches in elevated locations ready to pounce on the insects and other small invertebrates that form its diet. The nest is built by the female on the ground in coarse vegetation, with a clutch of four to seven eggs being laid. Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Tsavo East National Park
African Stonechat
Saxicola torquatus
Siberian Stonechat
Saxicola maurus
Spotted Flycatcher
Muscicapa striata
Spotted Morning-Thrush
Cichladusa guttata
White-browed Scrub Robin
Erythropygia leucophrys
Bearded Scrub Robin
Erythropygia quadrivirgata
Redcap Robinchat
Cossypha natalensis
African Gray Flycatcher
Bradornis microrhynchus
Northern Wheatear
Oenanthe oenanthe
Pale Flycatcher
Bradornis pallidus
Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush
Monticola saxatilis
Ashy Alseonax
Muscicapa caerulescens
📅 Monthly Probability
Fewer than 5 records of Whinchat at Tsavo East National Park — not enough to chart months honestly.
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there