Pied Wheatear
Encyclopedia
The Pied Wheatear, Oenanthe pleschanka, is a wheatear
, a small insectivorous passerine
that was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush
family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher
, Muscicapidae.
This migratory
central Asia
tic wheatear occurs from the extreme southeast of Europe to China
, and has been found wintering in India
and northeastern Africa
. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe
.
In summer the male is a white and black bird. The white crown tinged with grey contrasts with the black face and throat. The female is browner, and the head is washed with sandy buff. Females are darker than Northern Wheatear
, look smaller and showed less white on the rump.
The tail and rump are white, with an inverted black T giving a pattern like Black-eared Wheatear
. This 13.5-14.5 cm bird
nests on open, stony, sparsely vegetated habitats, laying 4-6 eggs in a rock crevice. It eats insects and berries.
Wheatear
The wheatears are passerine birds of the genus Oenanthe. They were formerly considered to be members of the thrush family Turdidae, but are now more commonly placed in the flycatcher family Muscicapidae...
, a small insectivorous passerine
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
that was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush
Thrush (bird)
The thrushes, family Turdidae, are a group of passerine birds that occur worldwide.-Characteristics:Thrushes are plump, soft-plumaged, small to medium-sized birds, inhabiting wooded areas, and often feed on the ground or eat small fruit. The smallest thrush may be the Forest Rock-thrush, at and...
family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher
Old World flycatcher
The Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae is a large family of small passerine birds mostly restricted to the Old World. These are mainly small arboreal insectivores, many of which, as the name implies, take their prey on the wing.-Characteristics:...
, Muscicapidae.
This migratory
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
central Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
tic wheatear occurs from the extreme southeast of Europe to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, and has been found wintering in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and northeastern Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
In summer the male is a white and black bird. The white crown tinged with grey contrasts with the black face and throat. The female is browner, and the head is washed with sandy buff. Females are darker than Northern Wheatear
Northern Wheatear
The Northern Wheatear or Wheatear is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae...
, look smaller and showed less white on the rump.
The tail and rump are white, with an inverted black T giving a pattern like Black-eared Wheatear
Black-eared Wheatear
The Black-eared Wheatear is a wheatear, a small migratory passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae....
. This 13.5-14.5 cm bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
nests on open, stony, sparsely vegetated habitats, laying 4-6 eggs in a rock crevice. It eats insects and berries.
Identification
- Ullman, Magnus (1994) Identification of Pied Wheatear and Eastern Black-eared Wheatear Dutch BirdingDutch BirdingDutch Birding is an ornithological magazine published by the Dutch Birding Association. Its editor is Arnoud van den Berg. It was first published in 1979....
16(5): 186-194 - Ullman, Magnus (2003) Separation of Western and Eastern Black-eared Wheatear Dutch BirdingDutch BirdingDutch Birding is an ornithological magazine published by the Dutch Birding Association. Its editor is Arnoud van den Berg. It was first published in 1979....
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