TURDIN.'E. 





■i«^ 



THE WHINCHAT. 



Pratincola rubetra (Linnreus). 



The Whinchat generally arrives in the south of England rather 

 before the middle of April, but seldom reaches the north of its 

 range before the beginning of May ; after which, until its departure 

 in the early part of October, it is fairly distributed throughout 

 England and Wales. It is, however, somewhat local in the west, 

 becoming rare in Cornwall, and only occurring in the Scilly Islands 

 during the autumnal passage. In Scotland, although absent in some 

 districts, it may be said to range from the border counties to 

 Caithness, and is very common in Sutherlandshire and the Moray 

 basin ; while it breeds sparingly in the Outer Hebrides and the 

 Orkneys; and Mr. A. H. Evans identified it in the summer of 1887 

 in the Shetlands. In Ireland it is a summer visitor to the northern 

 half and Kilkenny, visiting the south on migration. 



A very rare straggler to the Fteroes, the Whinchat breeds from 

 about 70° N. lat. in Scandinavia southwards, in many parts of 

 Northern and Central Europe ; and, seeking in the mountains 

 appropriate climatic conditions, it nests down to Sicily. In the 

 countries bordering the Mediterranean it is, however, principally a 

 migrant ; wintering in Africa, down to Fantee on the west side and 

 Abyssinia on the east, as well as in Arabia, Asia Minor, and Northern 

 India. The Ural Mountains appear to form its eastern boundary in 

 European Russia. 



The breeding-season is from the beginning of May : the nest is 



