Whinchat

The Whinchat is similar in size to its relative the Robin. Both sexes have brownish upperparts mottled darker, a buff throat and breast, a pale buff to whitish belly and a blackish tail with white bases to the outer tail feathers. The male in breeding plumage has blackish face mask almost encircled by a strong white supercilium and malar stripe, a bright orange-buff throat and breast and small white wing patches. The female is duller overall, in particular having browner face mask, pale buffy-brown breast, and a buff supercilium and malar stripe and smaller or no white wing patches. Males in immature and winter plumage and are similar to females.

The Whinchat is a fairly common migratory species in Europe and western Asia with birds arriving at their breeding grounds between the end of April and mid May and departing between mid August and mid September. They winter primarily in tropical sub-Saharan Africa with small numbers also in north west Africa.

Date: 15th May 2016

Location: Pikla ponds, Estonia