The stone chat is a small little bird often seen perched on a post wire fence or a gorse bush. You will often see it flicking its wings and tail and calling with short 'chipping' notes and sounds like a few small stones shaken together in your fist. That is why it is called a stonechat because of the sound it makes. In summer the male is brightly coloured with its orange breast, black head and white front. The female, young and winter male are rather dull-coloured versions of the summer colours. 

It can be seen in rough ground and scrubland and along the coast. Its favourite place to build a nest is in a gorse bush. Gorse looks and smells lovely springtime. It used to be more widespread but because of the large number of farmers and sprays, it had to leave farmland.

The stamp was issued in Phase 3 on April 2nd. 1998