LC
Whinchat Saxicola rubetra



Taxonomy

Taxonomic note

Taxonomic source(s)
AERC TAC. 2003. AERC TAC Checklist of bird taxa occurring in Western Palearctic region, 15th Draft. Available at: #http://www.aerc.eu/DOCS/Bird_taxa_of _the_WP15.xls#.
AERC TAC. 2003. AERC TAC Checklist of bird taxa occurring in Western Palearctic region, 15th Draft. Available at: #http://www.aerc.eu/DOCS/Bird_taxa_of _the_WP15.xls#.
Cramp, S. and Perrins, C.M. 1977-1994. Handbook of the birds of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The birds of the western Palearctic. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Cramp, S.; Perrins, C. M. 1977-1994. Handbook of the birds of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The birds of the western Palearctic. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A., Fishpool, L.D.C., Boesman, P. and Kirwan, G.M. 2016. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 2: Passerines. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

IUCN Red list criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable
- - -

Red List history
Year Category Criteria
2016 Least Concern
2012 Least Concern
2009 Least Concern
2008 Least Concern
2004 Least Concern
2000 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1994 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1988 Lower Risk/Least Concern
Species attributes

Migratory status full migrant Forest dependency low
Land mass type Average mass -
Distribution

Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2) 20,500,000
Extent of Occurrence non-breeding (km2) 17,000,000
Number of locations -
Severely Fragmented -
Population and trend
Value Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
No. of mature individuals 17000000-28999999 poor estimated 2012
Population trend decreasing suspected -
Decline (3 years/1 generation past) - - -
Decline (5 years/1 generation past) - - -
Decline (10 years/1 generation past) - - -
Decline (10 years/3 generation future) - - -
Decline (10 years/3 generation past and future) - - -
Number of subpopulations - - -
Percentage in largest subpopulation - - -

Population justification: In Europe, the breeding population is estimated to number 6,470,000-10,700,000 pairs, which equates to 12,900,000-21,400,000 mature individuals (BirdLife International 2015). Europe forms c.75% of the global range, so a very preliminary estimate of the global population size is 17,200,000-28,500,000 individuals, although further validation of this estimate is needed.

Trend justification: In Europe, trends between 1980 and 2013 show that populations have undergone a moderate decline (EBCC 2015).


Country/territory distribution
Country/Territory Presence Origin Resident Breeding Non-breeding Passage
Afghanistan extant uncertain
Albania extant native yes
Algeria extant native
Andorra extant native yes
Armenia extant native yes
Austria extant native yes
Azerbaijan extant native yes
Bahrain extant native yes
Belarus extant native yes
Belgium extant native yes
Benin extant native
Bosnia and Herzegovina extant native yes
Bulgaria extant native yes yes
Burkina Faso extant native
Burundi extant native
Cameroon extant native
Central African Republic extant native
Chad extant native
Congo extant native
Congo, The Democratic Republic of the extant native
Côte d'Ivoire extant native
Croatia extant native yes
Cyprus extant native
Czechia extant native yes
Denmark extant native yes yes
Djibouti extant native
Egypt extant native
Eritrea extant native
Estonia extant native yes
Ethiopia extant native
Faroe Islands (to Denmark) extant native
Finland extant native yes yes
France extant native yes yes
Gabon extant native
Gambia extant native
Georgia extant native yes
Germany extant native yes yes
Ghana extant native
Gibraltar (to UK) extant native
Greece extant native yes yes
Guinea extant native
Guinea-Bissau extant native
Hungary extant native yes
Iceland extant vagrant
Iran, Islamic Republic of extant native yes yes
Iraq extant native yes
Ireland extant native yes
Israel extant native
Italy extant native yes yes
Jordan extant native yes
Kazakhstan extant native yes
Kenya extant native
Kuwait extant native yes
Latvia extant native yes
Lebanon extant native yes
Liberia extant native
Libya extant native
Liechtenstein extant native yes
Lithuania extant native yes
Luxembourg extant native yes
Malawi extant native
Mali extant native
Malta extant native
Mauritania extant native
Moldova extant native yes
Montenegro extant native yes
Morocco extant native
Namibia extant vagrant
Netherlands extant native yes
Niger extant vagrant
Nigeria extant native
North Macedonia extant native yes
Norway extant native yes
Oman extant native yes yes
Poland extant native yes
Portugal extant native yes
Qatar extant native yes
Romania extant native yes
Russia extant native yes
Russia (Central Asian) extant native yes
Russia (European) extant native yes
Rwanda extant native
Saudi Arabia extant native yes yes
Senegal extant native
Serbia extant native yes
Seychelles extant vagrant
Sierra Leone extant native
Slovakia extant native yes
Slovenia extant native yes
Somalia extant native
South Africa extant native
South Sudan extant native yes
Spain extant native yes yes
Sudan extant native
Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands (to Norway) extant vagrant
Sweden extant native yes
Switzerland extant native yes
Syria extant native yes
Tanzania extant native
Togo extant native
Tunisia extant native
Turkey extant native yes yes
Uganda extant native
Ukraine extant native yes yes
United Arab Emirates extant native yes
United Kingdom extant native yes
Western Sahara extant native
Yemen extant native yes yes
Zambia extant native
Zimbabwe extant vagrant

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name
Finland Lemmenjoki-Hammastunturi-Pulju
Germany Elbe lowlands between Schnackenburg and Lauenburg
Germany Oberwesterwald, incl. Westerwald lake area and Neunkhausener Plateau
Germany Peenetal (Peenetalmoor and Anklamer Stadtbruch)
Germany Recknitz and Trebel valley
Germany Unteres Rhinluch-Dreetzer See / Havelländisches Luch / Belziger Landschaftswiesen
Russia (European) Flood-plain of Algashka river (Kirsko-Algashinskaya)
Russia (European) Insaro-Kovylkinski
Ukraine Lyman lake
Ukraine Molochna river valley
United Kingdom Exmoor Coast and Heaths

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Artificial/Terrestrial Arable Land suitable breeding
Artificial/Terrestrial Arable Land suitable non-breeding
Artificial/Terrestrial Pastureland suitable breeding
Artificial/Terrestrial Pastureland suitable non-breeding
Artificial/Terrestrial Rural Gardens suitable breeding
Artificial/Terrestrial Rural Gardens suitable non-breeding
Forest Temperate suitable breeding
Forest Temperate suitable non-breeding
Grassland Subtropical/Tropical Dry suitable non-breeding
Grassland Temperate suitable breeding
Shrubland Boreal suitable breeding
Shrubland Subtropical/Tropical Dry suitable non-breeding
Shrubland Temperate suitable breeding
Altitude 0 - 3000 m Occasional altitudinal limits  

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Species factsheet: Saxicola rubetra. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/whinchat-saxicola-rubetra on 08/06/2023. Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2023) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org on 08/06/2023.