The Siberian Stonechat is about 13 cm in length and appears as a summer visitor in Japan, breeding across highland meadows and wetlands from Hokkaido to central Honshu. In Oze Marshland, one of its well-known breeding grounds, the summer grasslands are often animated by the presence of Stonechats or Chestnut-eared Buntings.
Juveniles lack the striking black and orange contrast of adult males, instead showing gray-brown plumage with pale buff scalloping on the breast and back. Their shorter tails and mottled patterns highlight a youthful appearance.
Perched lightly on a grass stem, they scan the surroundings before darting down to catch insects on the ground. By autumn, the mottling fades, the plumage resembles that of the female, and they depart southward to wintering grounds.