Oenanthe lugens - Mourning Wheatear
Feather characters. Barbules are rather short (0.61-0.65 mm) and divided into pigmented nodes and unpigmented internodes. Bell-shaped nodes are equally distributed along the entire length of barbules (40-44 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 14.5 cm. Weight: male 24.0 g (22.0-25.6), female 21.0 g (19.0-22.0) (Dunning, 1993). Medium-sized black and white wheatear. Race lugens of Near and Middle East resembles male Pied Wheatear (Oenanthe pleschanka, not included in BRIS), but black of bib confined to throat (extending to upperbreast in Pied); white of crown restricted to head (extending to uppermantle in Pied); white on rump extends further onto lower mantle; underparts purer white, but undertail-coverts orange-buff. Best separated from other W Palearctic wheatears by pale wing-panel on blackish underwing, formed by white inner-webs of flight-feathers; obvious in flight. Female lugens strongly resembles male. Male of N African race halophila less easily distinguished from Pied Wheatear; wing-panel more greyish; vent paler buff. Female halophila is pale brown-grey on back and crown; face and throat dull grey, often with pale supercilium; rest of underparts buffish-white with orange-buff ventral region; wings dark brown (panel indistinct or absent). Often seen on wires.
Voice. Commonest call 'chack', alarm-call 'pyt-pyt'. Song a twittering warble.
Distribution. Locally common in Middle East and N Africa; partial migrant. Map: see MapIt.
Habitat. Rocky gorges, mountain slopes, dry wadis, or lava plains, covered with isolated trees and tall bushes. Nests in rock crevice, near boulder, or in hole in bank.
Food. Insects.