"Stone Chat" Clock

Why is it called a stonechat? The stonechat is named for its call, which sounds just like two small stones being hit together! It can be seen on heath-land and boggy habitats. The Stonechat is a common breeding resident in the UK with over 50,000 pairs. The Stonechat occurs in all counties throughout the UK and Ireland. Stonechats eat mainly insects but will eat fruit or seeds in the colder months when insects become scarcer. Nestling stonechats eat exclusively invertebrates, with research showing their diet is made up of many beetles, spiders, and flies. Some confuse the Stonechat with the Wheater but the Wheater usually repeats the "weet" sound more frequently than the "check" sound. The "check" of Stonechat is less pure and more gritty. The Wheatear song consists of short phrases with marked pauses.