The European Stonechat, Saxicola rubicola, is a small bird (slightly smaller than a Robin) and we get quite a few of them in Nerja.
The sexes are quite distinct, the summer male having black upperparts, a black head, an orange throat and breast, and a white belly and vent. The female has brown upperparts and head. These specimens, quite happy to pose, were down by the rio Chillar riverbed.
Females…
European Stonechats breed in heathland, coastal areas and rough grassland. They are short-distance migrants or non-migratory, with those in northern Europe heading south to warmer climes in winter, either to southern Europe or even North Africa.
Males…
