Whinchat

Whinchat ( Saxicola rubetra ) males

The Whinchat ( Saxicola rubetra ) is a passerine bird of the genus Wiesenschmätzer ( Saxicola ) and the family of flycatchers ( Muscicapidae ). In Germany, the Whinchat is one of the endangered species.

Description

The Whinchat is about 13 to 14 inches tall and weighs about 15 to 20 grams. The top is brown, black patterned and the belly is whitish. Throat and chest are colored orange-yellow. A Whinchat can be up to eight years old. The male has a white Überaugstreif and a white chin stripe. The area between the two strips is black. His call sounds like " ju teck " and serves to attract females and to mark his territory. To sing and when hunting prey whinchat likes to sit on tall poles and blades.

Distribution and habitat

From April to September, the long-distance migrant is used in almost all of Europe. He has in sub-Saharan Africa His winter quarters.

As habitat whinchat prefers open, fresh to moist surfaces with not too high wood density and tail. For the nest plant, it needs a cover bidding herb and / or dwarf shrub layer. For the foraging sites with low and it must have lückiger vegetation, comprising neck waiting such as bulky herbs stems, reeds, high shrubs, fences, poles or individual trees.

Nutrition

The Whinchat feeds mainly on insects, worms, snails, spiders and berries.

Reproduction

Sexual maturity occurs after one year. The breeding season is from May to August. The nest is hidden in the tall grass in a bottom trough. The female lays four to seven blue-green eggs. The eggs are hatched 12 to 15 days by the female. The young birds leave the nest after 12 to 13 days, fledge they are 3 to 4 days later.

Endangering

Through intensive use of grassland ground-nesting birds of their food sources and their habitat are robbed and expelled from the cultivated meadows. Free-running dogs disturb the breeding period of the birds, still the young are easy prey for domestic cats.

Others

The Whinchat was bird of the year 1987. The stock in Germany is estimated at 37000-90000 breeding pairs.