The Fuerteventura Chat (Saxicola dacotiae) is a small passerinebird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae. It, and similar small European species, are often called chats.
It is resident and restricted to the island of Fuerteventura, one of the Canary Islands, where it breeds in sparsely vegetated ravines or slopes.
The Fuerteventura Chat is similar in size to the European Robin. Both sexes have a dark rump and tail.
In summer the male has dark brownish upperparts, orange throat and black head. It has strong white neck sides and a white supercilium. The appearance is like a cross between Whinchat and Stonechat. The female has paler brown upperparts and head, and no white neck patches.
The male has a clicking call and high twittering song like a Stonechat.
THE BIRDS OF FUERTEVENTURA - the chat, the bustard, the courser and the sandgrouse.
FuerteventuraChat (or Canary Islands Stonechat) was discovered in 1888 by E. Meade-Waldo, and is most frequently encountered in hilly areas, most notably in steep valleys and dry or nearly dry wadies (locally known as barrancos).
Surprisingly, and unlike Common Stonechat, I found FuerteventuraChat to be quite secretive and quiet, on windy days they spent a lot of time amongst quite bushy vegetation; no call was heard and only a brief snip of sub-song was noted on one occasion.
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