White-tailed Stonechat

About the White-tailed Stonechat

The white-tailed stonechat (Saxicola leucurus) is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. Very similar in plumage to european stonechat (Saxicola rubicola). The male has black head, white collar and bright rufous chest patch. The back and wings are dark, with white on wing coverts and rump. The key differentiating feature from male common stonechat is the white inner webs of outer tail feathers which is visible when the bird spreads the tail in flight or while landing. Note that this may not be visible when the tail is folded. The female is very similar to female european stonechat, but is overall paler with duller rump, tail and wings.

Considered monotypic though there are slight variations in plumage for birds from South Assam Hills (where the birds are darker and large billed) and Pakistan (where chest patch is more reddish). Though sympatric with Asian stonechat in its range, they do not intergrade.

White-tailed stonechats are resident in suitable marshy habitats in the Indus River valley, southern Himalayan foothills, the Terai–Duar savanna and grasslands, Bangladesh, South Assam Hills, Manipur... Wikipedia →