Is this a whinchat?

[Suffolk-Chris]

Seen as usual in awful weather and cruddy light..... on heathland.



I think it's a female whinchat but am not too hot on LBJs....

[wildlifesnapper]

Hi Chris,

it's a Stonechat.

neil

[Reptilian]

Forgive my ignorance but isn't white stripe on the whinchat above the eye?

[Suffolk-Chris]

Ah... the white eye flash had me confused. Is the eye stripe on a Whinchat very much more visible then?

Also this is in an area which is listed as a not present-borderline-winter area for Stonechats and a summer area for Whinchats - how accurate are these regional distribution maps?

I'm determined to master these darned LBJs. At least I got the "chat" bit right....

[wellies101]

I'd go with the whinchat too, and female rather than male also. Could it be a young female hence the lack of clear white stripe above the eye?

Suffolk-chris, as you may have guessed I too am trying in vain to "master" these lbj's.

[andy68]

This is definitely a female Stonechat. All plumages of Whinchat have a much bigger and more obvious white (or buff in juveniles) stripe above the eye, extending from the base of the beak almost to the back of the head. This bird only has a small whitish stripe just above and slightly behind the eye.

Distribution maps can very quickly become out of date, as birds' ranges are so dynamic, especially in these days of climate change. Was this taken in Suffolk? Stonechats certainly breed along the coast at least - I've seen them at Minsmere and Dunwich recently.

Andy

[Suffolk-Chris]

Originally Posted by andy68

Was this taken in Suffolk? Stonechats certainly breed along the coast at least - I've seen them at Minsmere and Dunwich recently.

Andy

Hi Andy - thanks for that info. Yes it was in Suffolk but not coastal - taken on Berner's Heath just south of Thetford.

[Birchy]

Hi everyone,

I'm no expert at identifying birds of this sort but i have two excellent bird books infront of me and you are spot-on it is a Female Winchat. But it's very similar to a Female Stonechat, the give-away is the white steak above the eye and its brown coloured back and wings. The Stonechat is a bit darker.

Hope I was helpful.

Birchy

[solus]

Stonechat. The supercilium is not long enough or prominent enough for Whinchat, the throat looks dusky-brown, the upperparts of Whinchat would be more streaky and the posture generally less upright.

It's one of those birds (like Golden Eagle/Buzzard!) where, if there is any doubt, it probably isn't a Whinchat: when you see one, you know it!

[Ukwildlifeo]

Its female stonechat - the white eye stripe is larger in a whinchat. Plus Ive seen loads of female stonechats like the one in the photo. I even have photos somewhere...