THE STONECHAT 



PRATINCOLA RUBICOLA 



LOCAL names in surrounding counties : " Furzechat," 

 " Blackcap " (Essex). 



STATUS IN BRITISH AVIFAUNA : A widely distributed 

 resident, somewhat local, and subject to considerable 

 seasonal movement. 



RADIAL DISTRIBUTION WITHIN FIFTEEN MILES OF ST. 

 PAUL'S : The Stonechat is another species of the more 

 outlying suburbs, the inner portions presenting few if 

 any of the conditions suited to its requirements. It is 

 locally distributed over such furze-clad areas as Wimble- 

 don and Mitcham Commons. I have met with it on 

 Tooting Bee Common, near Croydon, on some of the 

 more extensive heaths, and on open spaces in the vicinity 

 of Park Royal and Epping. It may be met with in the 

 Richmond and Bushey districts, Hounslow, Hanwell, 

 and Epping, whilst many of the Surrey heaths and Kentish 

 wastes well within the Metropolitan area may be given as 

 its habitat. In some places the bird is seldom or never seen 

 in summer ; in others its winter absence alone is remarked. 

 I am sure the Stonechat is much overlooked, owing to its 

 secretive ways and the kind of cover it frequents. 



From the nature of its favourite haunts the Stonechat 

 must always be a scarce bird within the London district, 

 and there can be little doubt that its habitat will become 

 even more restricted as the suburbs are more densely 

 populated. It is essentially a bird of the wild, uncultivated 

 places, finding its favourite haunts amongst the gorse and 

 the rough, broken ground of commons and heaths ; the 

 fields and the hedgerows, the gardens and pleasure- 

 grounds, offer little or no attraction. In its general 

 habits it somewhat closely resembles the Whinchat. It 

 is just as fond of perching on the topmost sprays of its 



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