Common name: Canary stonechat
Scientific name: Saxicola dacotiae
Status: It is an endemic species of the Canary Islands, exclusive to the island of Fuerteventura. Its population is in decline. As it does not exceed 15,000 specimens, it is classified as in danger of extinction.
Habitat and distribution: Species of insectivorous bird typical of arid and open environments, it occupies ravines, slopes and earthy-stony plains with scattered small bushes. It can occasionally appear in farm fields and gardens. Resident, it does not migrate, so it can only be seen in Fuerteventura; yes, throughout the year.
How to recognize it: A very confident little bird that likes to perch on stones and branches, moving its body and tail while repeating a characteristic call consisting of a repetitive tec-tec. The male is distinguished by its black head, with a white eyebrow and throat, and a reddish breast. The female is paler and brownish.
Curiosities: It breeds in the rainy season, usually between the months of January and May, with the possibility of laying twice a year if the year has been good. The female builds a nest on the ground, located under a stone or bush, consisting of a cup of leaves and roots interwoven with goat hair. The clutch consists of two to five eggs, bluish-green in color and finely speckled, which are incubated exclusively by the female for 13-15 days. The chicks are fed by both parents for 16-18 days, accompanying them a few weeks later until they are finally expelled from the territory.
