overall the male is black above and white below but also with a white supercilium sometimes absent half-collar and greater covert patch and a variable-sized orange patch on the breast females differ from males in being browner above more buff-toned below and often lacking the white greater covert patch the white throat and usually white supercilium are the most prominent external differences from the african stonechat s torquatus which has a wholly black head including the throat and supercilium