The Siberian stonechat or Asian stonechat is a recently validated species of the Old World flycatcher family (Muscicapidae). Like the other thrush-like flycatchers, it was often placed in the Turdidae in the past. It breeds in the East Palearctic including in easternmost Europe and winters in the Old World tropics.
Region
East Palearctic
Typical Environment
Breeds across open habitats of the East Palearctic, including steppe, meadow edges, boggy clearings, and scrubby farmland. In winter it shifts south into the Old World tropics, occurring in South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and parts of northeastern Africa. It favors mosaic landscapes with scattered shrubs, reeds, or fence lines that provide low lookout perches. Nests are placed close to the ground in dense vegetation or low shrub cover.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 3000 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Its sharp, clacking call sounds like two stones being knocked together, which gives stonechats their name. Males show striking black-and-orange contrast in breeding season, while females are subtler and streaked for camouflage. It frequently hunts by sallying out from prominent low perches such as reeds, shrubs, or fence posts.
Temperament
alert and territorial during breeding
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with frequent sallies from low perches
Social Behavior
Typically breeds in isolated pairs; males display from prominent perches with wing-flicking and tail movement. The nest is low and concealed, with 4–6 eggs commonly laid. Outside the breeding season, small loose groups may form in good feeding areas.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
Call is a sharp, dry 'tac-tac' reminiscent of clicking stones. The song is a soft, varied warble with squeaky notes and short phrases delivered from exposed perches.
Plumage
Compact, upright chat with contrasting plumage; males in breeding plumage show a black head, white neck patch, bright orange breast, white scapular/wing patches, and pale rump sides; females are warm brown with buffy underparts and fine streaking, a pale supercilium, and less contrast.
Diet
Primarily hunts small insects such as beetles, flies, caterpillars, and spiders; also takes other invertebrates when available. It occasionally eats small berries and seeds, especially outside the breeding season. Foraging involves watch-and-wait from a low perch, followed by a quick sally or a short ground pounce.
Preferred Environment
Feeds along shrub-lined field margins, steppe and meadow edges, reedbeds, and fallow agricultural plots. Often uses fence posts, weed stalks, or low shrubs as vantage points to scan for prey.
