Black Wheatear
Oenanthe leucura
Distinctive large, dark wheatear with a strong bill. Males are largely all black except for a white tail, rump, and vent. The tail has a black center and terminal band. Females are similar, but browner. Normally encountered foraging on the ground in rocky areas with steep slopes. Shy and typically flies uphill when flushed. Song is a pleasant warble, sometimes with a buzzy or trilled element. Calls include a smooth whistle “eee eee.”
Identification
This large 16–18 cm long wheatear. The male of this species is all black except a white rump and mainly white tail. The female is similar, but dark brown rather than black. It has a loud thrush-like song.<p>The similar white-crowned wheatear (Oenanthe leucopyga) also breeds in the African part of the black wheatear's range, but the black wheatear 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, but young white-crowned wheatears also lack this feature.
Taxonomy
The black wheatear was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the thrushes in the genus Turdus, coined the binomial name Turdus leucurus and specified the locality as Gibraltar. The specific epithet is from Ancient Greek leukouros meaning "white-tailed". Gmelin based his account on the "White-tailed thrush" that had been described and illustrated in 1783 by the English ornithologist John Latham in his multi-volume work A General Synopsis of Birds. Latham had examined a specimen in the Leverian Museum in London. The black wheatear is now placed in the genus Oenanthe that was introduced in 1816 by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot.<p>Two subspecies are recognised:
- Scientific name
- Oenanthe leucura
- Authority
- (Gmelin, JF, 1789)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Genus
- Oenanthe
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
It breeds on cliffs and rocky slopes in western north Africa and Iberia. It no longer breeds in southern France. It is largely resident and nests in crevices in rocks laying 3-6 eggs.The food of this wheatear is mainly insects.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Pemba Green-Pigeon
Treron pembaensis
A medium-sized, chunky pigeon that has an olive-green back and a gray head and underparts. Flight is fast and direct. Sometimes seen alone, though more often in small groups. Found in forest, forest edge, plantations, and villages, often around fruiting trees. Similar to other green-pigeons, but easily separated by range, as it is the only green-pigeon on the island of Pemba. Voice is a quiet but maniacal series of sputters, whistles, and cackles.
Black-rumped Buttonquail
Turnix nanus
Small, brownish quail-like bird. Generally rare and elusive species that is unlikely to be seen by those not expressly looking for it. The face is orange, and in flight, a large black rump patch is obvious. Found very locally in moist grassland. Gives a long series of low “hoo” notes. Very similar to Small Buttonquail, but separated by orange face and black rump. Also similar to female quail, but differs in less explosive flight and black rump.
Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk
Accipiter rufiventris
Medium-sized sparrowhawk with a dark gray back and plain orangeish underparts. In flight, the wings and tail show strong barring. Immature is brown on the back and has rufous bars and streaking below. Found in forest and exotic tree plantations, mainly in the mountains, though down to sea level in South Africa. Often hunts in open areas far from the forest. Calls are insistent, repeated whistles. Immature separated from immature Ovambo Sparrowhawk by its yellow eye.
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