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Stone Chat


Stone Chat
Photo Information
Copyright: Tom Conzemius (pirate) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 799 W: 152 N: 1186] (7474)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-09-02
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 20D, 300 mm 1:2.8 with 1.4 CANON extender
Exposure: f/5.0, 1/640 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-11-25 9:17
Viewed: 4682
Points: 38
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
European Stonechat
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The European Stonechat is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, family Muscicapidae. They, with similar small species in the family, are often called chats.
The European Stonechat is somewhat smaller than the European Robin. Both sexes have distinctively short wings, shorter than those of the more migratory Whinchat and Siberian Stonechat. The summer male rubicola has black upperparts, a black head, an orange throat and breast, and a white belly and vent. It also has white patches on the sides of its neck, a small white scapular patch on the wings, and a very small white patch on the rump often streaked with black. The female has paler brown upperparts and head, and no white neck patches, rump or belly, these areas being streaked dark brown on paler brown, the only white being the scapular patch on the wings and even this often being buffy-white.
European Stonechats breed in heathland, coastal dunes and rough grassland with scattered small shrubs and bramble, open gorse, tussocks or heather. They are non-migratory or short-distance migrants, with part of the population moving south to winter further south in Europe and more widely in north Africa.

The male has a clicking call like stones knocking together, for which it was named. The song is high and twittering like a Dunnock.

Two doubtfully distinct subspecies are accepted: the Central European Stonechat S. r. rubicola in the south and east of its range, and the Western European Stonechat of western and NW Europe, notably the Atlantic coastal areas, S. r. hibernans. They are hardly different in appearance, but nDNA microsatellite fingerprinting reveals some degree of separation (Wink et al. 2002). Together, these two races are found throughout western, central and southern Europe, the extreme northwest of Africa and western Turkey.

It is closely related to some species, several of which look also much alike to it:

Siberian Stonechat, Saxicola maura
African Stonechat, Saxicola torquata
Réunion Stonechat, Saxicola tectes
Fuerteventura Chat, Saxicola dacotiae
nglen, shabsslg, Juyona, eqshannon, darwin, dejo, falke, PaulH, medio, nick27 has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2883 W: 30 N: 9683] (36145)
  • [2007-11-25 9:27]

Hi Tom. What a good close up of this little bird. You have captured it with fine detail and colours. you have good light in the eye. it stands out so well against the plain BG. well done TFS. good notes too.
Nick..

  • Great 
  • GLEM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 540 W: 87 N: 750] (10)
  • [2007-11-25 9:33]

hi tom,
very nice shot of this bird, perfect DOF for many details. I like brown harmony colors. Very good composition.

gaetan

great-sharp pic, TFS Ori

Hello Tom , very sharp and good composed photo , TFS and good luck .

nice natural colors, appropriate depth, sharp subject. Above all very cute bird.

Subhayan.

  • Great 
  • demeve Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 586 W: 12 N: 1682] (6165)
  • [2007-11-25 13:52]

Hello Tom,
Wonderful presentation of the Stonechat, very sharp,
and very clear, beautiful BG and pose by the bird
Well done

Everton

Hi Tom,
what a nice shot of this beautiful bird. It is the most popular species in my portfolio too. Great details and sharpness. POV/DOF and eye contact super. Fantastic coloured BG, composition and light also very nice. thanks.
best wishes
Ahmet

  • Great 
  • Juyona Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor [C: 2232 W: 10 N: 2971] (16891)
  • [2007-11-25 14:27]

Hola Ton,
preciosa captura y buen foco...
los colores y pov excelentes.
buen trabajo,
saludos

Excelente enfoque Tom, con bellos y bien captados colores. Buena pose del ave y un ojo que te quedó inmejorable. Muy buen control de la luz.

Saludos: J. Ignasi

  • Great 
  • darwin Gold Star Critiquer [C: 259 W: 0 N: 403] (1401)
  • [2007-11-25 16:10]

Hi Tom
Crystal clear image with sharp detail
You captured nice warm natural color
on the stonechat and it really stands out against the soft background.Great catchlite tfs jon

  • Great 
  • dejo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 344 W: 51 N: 520] (2242)
  • [2007-11-25 19:01]

Hello Tom,
Cute little bird
I like focus and colors
very nice background
Regards, Dejan

It is a fine shot Tom. Crisp and clear with proper DOF and real good colourings. A fine image very worthy.
Bob

tom,

i like very much.lovely beautiful picture!
wonderful colors,wonderful details in his feathers,very natural.lovely bird.very well taken.
thanks
pirathina

  • Great 
  • falke Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 153 W: 18 N: 479] (1863)
  • [2007-12-01 8:33]

This is lovely! I love the details and the pose of this little bird. He is obviously observing you and trying to decide when to take of.... Very nice reflection in the eye!

Regards/Bengt

  • Great 
  • PaulH Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1137 W: 26 N: 3879] (13882)
  • [2007-12-13 6:36]

Hi Tom,
great detail in these striking markings, perfect sharp focus and DOF with an excellent background - brillant work.
Paul

  • Great 
  • medio Silver Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 27 W: 2 N: 35] (181)
  • [2007-12-20 5:30]

Hi Tom,

A photo beautiful, the approach is also excellent tones and the framing seems to me very good that the bird is not focused, and the tones
Greetings Jose

Hi Tom,
so sharp and well focused on this cute little bird.
The BG is perfect and the detail seen on the bird is also,
Very well done and Merry Christmas,
Nick :-)

  • Great 
  • lizzie Gold Star Critiquer [C: 207 W: 0 N: 605] (2855)
  • [2008-01-17 14:39]

Hi Tom,

I love this little one, very delicate you've captured him with beauty showing great details in the plumage and excellent sharpness. Beautiful background that matches very well with the colours of the subject. Very well done!

Lise

Hi Tom,
You acheived very nice clarity plus the natural colors of this passerine are beautiful. Well done. :)

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