• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Reference and further resources

Justification of Red List category
This poorly known chat has a small, declining population as a result of loss of its wintering grassland habitats to drainage, conversion to agriculture, overgrazing, flooding, and thatch harvesting. These factors qualify it as Vulnerable.

Population justification
The population is estimated to number 2,500-9,999 mature individuals based on an assessment of recent records and surveys by BirdLife International (2001). This is equivalent to 3,750-14,999 individuals in total, rounded here to 3,500-15,000 individuals.

Trend justification
A moderate and on-going population decline is suspected to be occurring as a result of habitat loss and degradation in the wintering grounds, although up-to-date information on population trend is lacking.

Saxicola insignis breeds very locally in the mountains of Mongolia and adjacent parts of Russia. It has been recorded on passage in northern and western China and Tibet (Simba Chan in litt. 2002), and winters in the terai of northern India and Nepal, with one spring record from Bhutan. Although once common, it is now rare and local in its wintering range, particularly in north and northwest India. It is reported from Dhikala grassland in Corbett NP in Uttarakhand. In Uttar Pradesh, despite intensive search in the grasslands of Dudhwa, Kishanpur, Pilibhet, Sohagi Barwa and Sohelwa wildlife sanctuaries from 2014 onwards, and even earlier in Dudhwa, this bird was not seen, though it could be wintering in the extensive flood plain grasslands of the Ganga River where not many birdwatchers normally go (A. Rahmani in litt. 2016). From Himachal Pradesh there is an unconfirmed record from Renuka Sanctuary, Sirmaur District, and another confirmed record from Narkanda (Rahmani 2012).  In Assam, it is regularly reported in Kuribeel and Koklabari grasslands in Manas and Bagori grasslands in Kaziranga in small numbers. It is also reported from Dibru-Saikhowa NP and Merbil (A. Rahmani in litt. 2016). Other records from Assam are: a female on the edge of Deepor Beel Bird Sanctuary near Guwahati on February 2, 2003, and a male in the same area in the next year on January 1, 2004, and a female on January 1, 2005 on the northern edge of the Sanctuary, close to a place called Satmile; a male on February 1, 2004 near the Jia Dhal river close to NH 31 and 10 km west of Dhemaji town (Rahmani 2012). In 1998, the wintering population in Nepal was estimated at just 110 individuals. Little is known about populations in its breeding grounds.

It breeds (c.June) in alpine or subalpine meadows and scrub in mountains. It winters (October-May) in wet and dry grasslands, reeds and tamarisks along riverbeds, and also in sugarcane fields, in open terrain below 250 m. On migration, it occurs up to 4,500 m. Optimum grassland habitat appears to comprise a mosaic of disturbed (burned or grazed) and undisturbed habitat, although it is absent from apparently suitable sites.

The major threat appears to be rapid and extensive loss and modification of grasslands in its wintering grounds, as a result of drainage, conversion to agriculture (although it appears to have partially adapted to sugarcane), overgrazing, grass harvesting for thatch production and inappropriate grassland management within protected areas. Recent heavy flooding in the valley of the Brahmaputra, compounded by forest destruction in its catchment, has destroyed further suitable habitat.

Conservation Actions Underway
CMS Appendix II. Wintering populations regularly occur in several protected areas, including Kaziranga, Corbett and Manas National Parks, India, and Lumbini Crane Sanctuary, Chitwan National Park and Sukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve, Nepal, the latter site supporting perhaps the highest recorded concentrations.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Conduct further surveys for the species across its breeding and wintering range to identify important sites and potential threats, as well as study its habitat requirements (A. Rahmani in litt. 2016). Potential sites to survey in winter could include the Gangetic and Brahmaputra floodplain (A. Rahmani in litt. 2016). Extend, upgrade and link (where possible) existing protected areas, and establish new ones, in order to adequately conserve remaining tracts of natural grassland. Promote grassland regeneration. Control livestock-grazing in relevant protected areas. Promote widespread conservation awareness initiatives focusing on sustainable management of grassland to maximise both thatch productivity for local people and available habitat for threatened grassland birds.

17 cm. Large chat. Adult male has white throat and sides of neck. White primary coverts, patch at base of primaries, inner median and greater coverts and at base of tertials and secondaries. Black crown, ear-coverts and mantle with rufous-brown fringes. Rufous-orange underparts becoming pale on belly. Female has buffish supercilium, pale throat and buffish crown and mantle. Similar spp. Common stonechat S. torquata is smaller, lacks white primary coverts and patch at base of primaries and has dark throat. Voice Metallic teck-teck.

Text account compilers
Gilroy, J., Westrip, J., Derhé, M., Benstead, P.

Contributors
Chan, S., Rahmani, A.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: White-throated Bushchat Saxicola insignis. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/white-throated-bushchat-saxicola-insignis on 22/11/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 22/11/2024.