Photo: Vaibhavcho / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
White-tailed Stonechat
Saxicola leucurus
White-tailed Stonechat (Saxicola leucurus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The White-tailed Stonechat (Saxicola leucurus) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 14.1 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 leucurus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 14.1 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Endangered
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The White-tailed Stonechat is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The White-tailed Stonechat is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The White-tailed Stonechat (Saxicola leucurus) is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR Pakistan and n India.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 14.1 g, with a wing length of about 6.8 cm and a tail of around 4.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 804,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the White-tailed Stonechat?
The White-tailed Stonechat is a very small bird that weighs around 14.1 g.
Where does the White-tailed Stonechat live?
The White-tailed Stonechat is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR Pakistan and n India, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the White-tailed Stonechat belong to?
The White-tailed Stonechat (Saxicola leucurus) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the White-tailed Stonechat eat?
The White-tailed Stonechat is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the White-tailed Stonechat migrate?
The White-tailed Stonechat is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the White-tailed Stonechat 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 White-tailed Stonechat make?
1 real field recording of the White-tailed Stonechat — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the White-tailed Stonechat's range?
The White-tailed Stonechat has a mapped global range of about 804,000 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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A field guide to the Muscicapidae family — 355 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.