[f. STONE sb. + CHAT sb.2, ‘from the similarity between its alarm note and the striking together of two pebbles’ (Swainson).] A small bird, Pratincola (or Saxicola) rubicola, inhabiting heaths, commons, etc., in Britain and various parts of Europe. (Also called stonechat warbler.) Also improperly applied to several allied species, as the whinchat, P. rubetra, and the wheatear, S. œnanthe. Also, with defining word, applied to other species.
1783. Latham, Gen. Synopsis Birds, II. I. 448. Stone-Chat … Motacilla rubicola.
1797. Bewick, Brit. Birds, I. 233. The Stonechat. Stone-smit[c]h, Moor Titling.
1817. Stephens, in Shaw’s Gen. Zool., X. 709. Stone-chat Warbler. (Sylvia Rubicola.)
1839. Macgillivray, Brit. Birds, II. 279. Fruticicola Rubicola. The Black-headed Bushchat. Stonechat. Stonesmich. Stonechatter.
1855. A. L. Adams, in Pop. Science Rev., IV. 326. A good many stone-chats spend the winter in Britain.
1872. J. H. Gurney, Andersson’s Birds Damara Land, 102. Pratincola torquata (Linn.) South African Stonechat.
1873. E. Balfour, Cycl. India (ed. 2), V. 573/2. The pied stone-chat (Saxicola picata) may be seen hopping about in the Dekhan.
Also called Stone-chacker, -chatter, -chatterer, † -check (STEINCHEK). Also Stone-clink; STONE-SMATCH, -SMITCH, etc.
1853. F. O. Morris, Brit. Birds, III. 170. Wheatear. Fallow-chat. White-tail. *Stone-chacker.
1544. Turner, Avium Præcip., I 1 b. Qualis est auicula Anglis *stonchattera, aut mortettera dicta.
1783. Latham, Gen. Synopsis Birds, II. I. 450. I have ever thought it exactly imitating the clicking of two stones together, one being held in each hand. If others have thought the same, it will easily account for the reason of its being called the Stone-Chatter.
1837. M. Donovan, Dom. Econ., II. 145. The Stonechatter, although an insignificant little bird, is prized by lovers of curious eating.
1823. A. Small, Rom. Antiq. Fife, 235. The little light blue bird called the *Stone-chatterer, from its delighting to be amongst, and building its nest under stones.
1668. Charleton, Onomast., 88. Cæruleo, the Clot-bird, Smatch, or *Stone-Check.
1885. Swainson, Prov. Names Birds, 11. Stonechat … *Stone clink; Chickstone.
