Whinchat
Saxicola rubetra
Slightly smaller than a Stonechat, the Whinchat has a pale eyestripe, a mottled breast, and a clear supercilium (eyebrow). Males show a warmer orange-buff chest in spring. They are summer visitors or passage migrants in the Channel Islands, sometimes stopping on Lihou to feed on insects among the island’s short grasses and open scrub.
- Habitat: Rough grassland, heath, and coastal meadows—often perched on low bushes
- When to See: Spring and autumn migration (April–May, August–September)
- Diet / Food: Insects, spiders, and other small invertebrates; occasionally berries
- Length: ~13 cm
- Weight: 13–18 g
- Wingspan: 21–24 cm