White-crowned Wheatear
Encyclopedia
The White-crowned Wheatear, or White-crowned Black Wheatear, Oenanthe leucopyga, is a wheatear
, 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.
This large 17–18 cm long wheatear breeds in stony deserts from the Sahara
and Arabia
across to Iraq
. It is largely resident but as occurred as a rare vagrant to western Europe
as far away as Great Britain
. It nests in crevices in rocks or walls laying 3-5 eggs.
Although most wheatear species have distinctive male and female plumages, adults of both sexes of this species are black except for a white rump and mainly white tail. Full adults have a white crown, not shown by young birds.
The similar Black Wheatear
, Oenanthe leucura, also breeds in the western part of the White-crowned Wheatear's range, but the latter has a black inverted T on its white tail, whereas White-crowned has only a black centre to its tail. The Black Wheatear never has a white crown.
This species mainly eats insects. This wheatear has a loud song, more varied than most of its relatives and often including mimicry.
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 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...
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...
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 large 17–18 cm long wheatear breeds in stony deserts from the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
and Arabia
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
across to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. It is largely resident but as occurred as a 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...
as far away as Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. It nests in crevices in rocks or walls laying 3-5 eggs.
Although most wheatear species have distinctive male and female plumages, adults of both sexes of this species are black except for a white rump and mainly white tail. Full adults have a white crown, not shown by young birds.
The similar Black Wheatear
Black Wheatear
The Black Wheatear, Oenanthe leucura, is a wheatear, 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....
, Oenanthe leucura, also breeds in the western part of the White-crowned Wheatear's range, but the latter has a black inverted T on its white tail, whereas White-crowned has only a black centre to its tail. The Black Wheatear never has a white crown.
This species mainly eats insects. This wheatear has a loud song, more varied than most of its relatives and often including mimicry.