White-throated Bush Chat

The white-throated bush chat, (Saxicola insignis), also known as Hodgson's bushchat, is an Old World flycatcher in the genus Saxicola.

The white-throated bush chat breeds in the alpine or sub-alpine meadows and scrub in the mountains of Mongolia and adjacent parts of Russia. It winters in the Terai of Nepaland northern India in wet and dry grasslands, reeds and tamarisks along riverbeds, and also in sugarcane fields.

This species has been classified as Vulnerable by BirdLife International. The major threat appears to be the rapid loss of grasslands in its wintering area. In winter, it occurs in the protected areas of Kaziranga, Corbett and Manas national parks, India, and Lumbini Crane Sanctuary, Chitwan National Park and Sukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve, Nepal. The current population is estimated at between 2,500 and 10,000.

During a survey carried out in the Sukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve, Nepal, a total of 19 white-throated bush chats were recorded in January 2005, and a year later only 8 males.