Oenanthe oenanthe - Northern Wheatear
Feather characters. Barbules are from short until medium length (0.6-1.1 mm). Barbules are divided into pigmented nodes and unpigmented or partly pigmented (less than 50%) internodes and stippled pigment may be found in distal internodes. Bell-shaped nodes are equally distributed along the entire length of barbules (34-42 per mm). They all are about the same size, slightly decreasing towards distal end. Villi are rounded and internodes are straight. Minute prongs are present on distal end of barbules and on both sides of the pennulum. Barbules have this typical structure for Passeriformes; pigmented, bell-shaped nodes combined with rounded villi.
Field characters. Size 15 cm. Weight: male 24.0 g (19.0-27.0), female 22.3 g (18.0-29.0) (Dunning, 1993). Male easily distinguished by grey crown, neck and mantle, black mask, black wings, buff breast and white underparts. Tail has characteristic wheatear-pattern: white with inverted 'T', formed by black distal band and black central tail feathers. Rump white. Female more difficult to distinguish from Isabelline Wheatear (Oenanthe isabellina, not included in BRIS) and female Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica, not included in BRIS). Like these species, upperparts mainly sandy coloured with darker wings. See under respective species for characters. Juveniles have a somewhat thrush-like pattern, with individual feathers coloured with yellow streaks. First winter birds resemble female, but have very broad buff feather edges and are more scaly-looking.
Voice. Call 'chak', 'tsek' and 'wiet tsek'. Song warbling, with scratchy notes. Often imitates other birds.
Distribution. Common and widespread, but decreasing locally. Map: see MapIt.
Habitat. A variety of open short-turf areas, with scattered bushes, small trees, rocks and bare patches of sand.
Food. Mainly invertebrates, also some berries. Catches insects in typical wheatear fashion, by spotting prey from perch or ground and catching it by flying down or running towards it.