Amur Stonechat Saxicola stejnegeri breeds across a vast area of East Asia, from Siberia and eastern Mongolia to Northeast China , the Russian Far East , Korea, and Japan. Winters southeast China south of Yangtze, including Hainan ; also Southeast Asia. Common passage migrant and winter visitor Shanghai . Distinguished from Przevalski’s Stonechat S. maurus przewalskii and Siberian Stonechat S. maurus maurus by larger neck patch, less rufous breast, and cleaner black head. Also known as Stejneger’s Stonechat. Near Pudong Airport (31.209241, 121.777011 ), Shanghai , April. (Craig Brelsford ) Female Amur Stonechat is buff above with dark streaking. Rudong-Yangkou (32.556800, 121.037400 ), Jiangsu , China, September. (Craig Brelsford ) Even a relatively colorful Amur Stonechat (R) has less bright and less extensive rufous coloration than a typical Przevalski’s Stonechat S. maurus przewalskii (L). Note also dirtier black head of Przevalski’s Stonechat and less prominent white collar. L: Xishuangbanna Prefecture (21.496110, 101.650512 ), Yunnan , China, elev. 720 m (2,360 ft.), January. R: Lesser Yangshan Island (30.644197, 122.057388 ), Zhejiang, China, April. (Craig Brelsford ) Female Amur Stonechat (L) and Przevalski’s Stonechat (R) show similar difference in underpart coloration to males. Amur shows faint rufous-orange, Przevalski’s richer chestnut. Winter ranges of Amur and Przevalski’s meet in south China around Guangxi. L: near Bawangling Reserve (19.111472, 109.091925 ), Hainan , China, elev. 170 m (560 ft.), January. R: Ruili, Yunnan , February. (Craig Brelsford ) BIBLIOGRAPHY
Collar, N. J. Family Turdidae (Thrushes). Pp. 781–2 in: del Hoyo, J., A. Elliot, and D. Christie, eds. Handbook of the Birds of the World . Vol. 10. Cuckoo-shrikes to Thrushes. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain, 2005.
MacKinnon, John . Guide to the Birds of China . Oxford University Press, 2022.
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