Species hunt - the shy show-offs

On to another species hunt! This one is for me brings back good memories of when I started my birdwatching days, since I believe it's one of the easiest passerines to identify: they tend to perch in plain sight, the colour pattern is unique, and males and females can be easily distinguished: a novice birdwatcher's dream!

^{European stonechat / cartaxo comum (PT) - Saxicola rubicola, female}

Stonechats are fairly common in rural areas, but also in urban areas with some green spaces. They tend to perch on the top of small bushes, and are fairly vocal, making them pretty easy to spot. With some experience, it is easy to recognize them by their callings alone.

^{European stonechat / cartaxo comum (PT) - Saxicola rubicola, male}

And as you can see, there is a good difference between males and females. As usual in birds, males are the cutest ones, with a black head and upperparts, a white collar in a big part of the neck, and an orange-brownish breast . In females the colours tend to be a bit duller, there are no white patches, and upper parts are greish-brown.

It's frequent to see the couple in a close distance apart, perching near each other.

^{European stonechat / cartaxo comum (PT) - Saxicola rubicola, male and female - being with their backs turned... an angry couple, maybe? 😁}

Being the show offs they are... they sometimes act shy for the camera! This male wanted nothing to do with me.

Neither this female, turning the opposite way as I was clicking the shutter button.

Oh well, can't complain; in this species, unlike some (most) others, I can normally take decent photos!

If you see a tiny bird perching on the almost absolute top of a small bush, at least in Portugal, chances are you're probably seeing a stonechat.

Well... not only in bushes!

Passerines can sometimes be a challenging group to identify; fortunately there are birds like these, that give you a confidence boost on your first birdwatching experiences.

Happy birding everyone!

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