Common breeding summer resident. Inhabits dry mountain slopes with rocky outcrops and bushes (dogrose, argan tree, buckthorn, barberry, hawthorn, rowan-tree, juniper) at 800-2200 m. On migration occurs in woodland belts also. In spring arrives in late April. Breeds in separate pairs, quite far from each other. Nest is built in bush at 0.3-0.5 m above the ground, from grass stems and bast lined with dry grass and bast strips by female only. Clutch of 4-5 eggs in early May – beginning of June. Both parents feed juveniles, which fledge in mid-June. Independent juveniles observed in mid-July. In Talasskiy Alatau latest birds recorded in end August – mid-September.
Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005. Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999. Рябицев В. К., Ковшарь А. Ф., Ковшарь В. А., Березовиков Н. Н. «Полевой определитель птиц Казахстана», Алматы, 2014.