That special one

This week's theme for SMAP contest is a tough one: SHOW ME A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVOURITE BIRD!! Come on, @nelinoeva! I have TONS of favourite birds!! 😁 But I guess most birdwatchers can relate to this, right?

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So for this cool theme, I chose a special one for me. Why special? Because it was one of the first species I learned to identify, around 20 years ago (just felt old, suddenly; man, times flies!!!).

The european stonechat, Saxicola rubicula, is a very common species in Portugal, and has a ton of characteristics that make them perfect for the beginner birdwatcher. It's a subspecies of the common stonechat.

They are a resident species, meaning that they don't migrate and stay year long = more chances for you to see them! Their calling is also easy to identify, with very little practice you will recognize it. And while you still don't recognize it, no worries: look around, because they are not shy!

They normally perch on top of bushes, poles, fences, and tend to stay in the open, opposite to some species that usually hide in the bushes; that makes them easy to spot, even more if they are vocalizing.

Males and females are different, and it's not uncommon to find them together.

^{A couple with their back turned, probably a marital discussion}

Males are the most colourful ones, with a dark head, white patches on the throat, and an orange chest; females have a brownish head and throat, as seen on the first two photos. Here's a male:

So as you can see, chances are you'll be able to identify it with little to no practice! And since they stay in the open, you'll see all kinds of poses, as this female with ruffled feathers.

In my grandparent's hometown, a small village near the mountains, you only have to leave the village a bit into the woods to spot them.

It's worth mentioning that although you'll find a lot of passerines of similar size, there are no other species with similar plummage.

Notice how they are always in the open on these photos? And no, I didn't picked them because of it; don't think I have a single stonechat photo where they are trying to stay hidden!

So... how confident are you to identify them now? 🙂

Curious to see your entries. Have a great week everyone!

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