stonechat

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stonechat

bird

Also known as: Saxicola torquata

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

stonechat, (species Saxicola torquatus), Eurasian and African thrush (family Muscicapidae, order Passeriformes) named for its voice, which is said to sound like pebbles clicked together. In this species, 13 cm (5 inches) long, the male is black above, with white neck patch and a smudge of reddish colour on the white underparts; the female is brownish and dark-hooded. It is a ground nester, of flycatcher-like habits, found in overgrown pastures and coastal wastelands.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Richard Pallardy.