The whinchat 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.
Region
Europe and Western Asia (winters in sub-Saharan Africa)
Typical Environment
Breeds across temperate Europe and western Asia in open grasslands, heaths, moorland edges, and rough pastures with scattered shrubs. It favors mosaics of tussocky grasses and tall herbs that provide both cover for ground nests and low perches for foraging. During migration it uses farmland, fallows, and coastal scrub as stopover sites. In winter it occupies savannas, lightly cultivated fields, and dry grasslands across sub-Saharan Africa, avoiding dense forests and urban areas.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2600 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Whinchats are small open-country flycatchers that perch on stems and fence posts, sallying out to snatch insects before dropping back to a low lookout. Their name comes from 'whin' (gorse), a favorite perch in their breeding habitats. Populations have declined in parts of Europe due to agricultural intensification and loss of rough grassland and hedgerows.
Adult female Chemnitz, Germany
Adult female, Uganda
Juvenile whinchat
Eggs, Collection Museum Wiesbaden
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with bounding, low flights; capable long-distance migratory flights
Social Behavior
Typically breeds in isolated pairs or loose neighborhoods, with the male singing from prominent low perches. Nests are placed on or near the ground concealed in tussocky vegetation. Both parents feed the brood, and adults display tail-flicking and wing-drooping when alarmed.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
A brisk, scratchy warble interspersed with dry clicking 'tac-tac' call notes. The song often includes brief mimicry and is delivered from a low perch or short song-flights.
