Whinchats are summer visitors to Europe and Asia after arriving from their wintering grounds in Africa and the Middle East. In Britain they breed in the north and west upland areas and like open country to live in, such as moorland, heathland and grassland. They nest on the ground, concealed in clumps of grass.

Whinchats mostly eat insects, catching them on the ground or in flight after short sallies from a low perch. Spiders, worms and snails are also eaten as are berries in the autumn. The males are more brightly coloured than the females and can resemble the related stonechat, the biggest difference being the prominent white stripe above the eye.

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