European stonechat
The European stonechat was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1766 in the twelfth edition of his "Systema Naturae" under the binomial name "Motacilla rubicola". This species is now placed in the genus "Saxicola" that was introduced by the German naturalist Johann Matthäus Bechstein in 1802. The English name derives from its call, sounding like two stones knocked together. The scientific name "Saxicola" means "rock-dweller", from Latin "saxum" meaning "a rock" and "incola" meaning "dwelling in". The specific epithet combines the Latin "rubus" meaning "brambles" with "incola". The subspecies name "hibernans" refers to Ireland (Latin, "Hibernia").