Photo: El Golli Mohamed / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Whinchat
Saxicola rubetra
Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 11 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 16.6 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Muscicapidae Chats, Old World Flycatchers
- Genus Saxicola
- Species rubetra
Quick facts
- Weight
- 16.6 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Whinchat is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Whinchat is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra) belongs to the Muscicapidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL Europe to c Russia and nw Mongolia.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 16.6 g, with a wing length of about 7.7 cm and a tail of around 4.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 10.2 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Whinchat?
The Whinchat is a small bird that weighs around 16.6 g.
Where does the Whinchat live?
The Whinchat is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL Europe to c Russia and nw Mongolia, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Whinchat belong to?
The Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Whinchat eat?
The Whinchat is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Whinchat migrate?
The Whinchat is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Whinchat endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Whinchat make?
1 real field recording of the Whinchat — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Whinchat's range?
The Whinchat has a mapped global range of about 10.2 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
Meet the Muscicapidae
A field guide to the Muscicapidae family — 355 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.