Siberian Stonechat

Chunky little bird of open landscapes; often sits on exposed perches. Breeding male has a black head, broad white half-collar, and rusty-red chest. Non-breeding male is patchier, with a paler head and chest. Female is predominantly streaky brown above, with a weaker, less contrasting face and chest pattern. European Stonechat is very similar, and can pose identification problems where the species overlap; look for Siberian’s larger white wing patch, duller orange on the chest, and whiter rump. Amur Stonechat is extremely similar, and in areas of overlap, or in cases of vagrancy, most individuals are inseparable based on current knowledge.

The Siberian stonechat is insectivorous. It breeds in open rough scrubland or rough grassland with scattered shrubs, from sea level to about 4,000 m ASL or more. The birds seem to avoid even cool temperate conditions and stay up north only during the hot continental summer.