Page 302 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

CHATS AND THRUSHES
Order Passeriformes Family Turdidae Species Oenanthe oenanthe
Wheatear pale grey from white stripe
crown to back above eye
juvenile’s plumage similar
bold black to autumn adult’s black patch
“T” shape through eye
on white pale feather edges
tail on wings
bright buff
MALE JUVENILE below
(SPRING)
blackish
wings
small, diffuse
eye patch
rich buff
or pale buff
underside,
pale sandy fades white
grey back
white tail
base
FEMALE
(SPRING) black legs
browner
wings
IN FLIGHT
FEMALE (SPRING) MALE
(SPRING)
n early arrival from Africa in spring, reaching Great Britain
A in early March, the Wheatear breeds in open areas with grassy
places on which it feeds adjacent to scree, stone walls, crags, or, FLIGHT: low, flitting, quite strong, undulating;
more rarely, holes in sandy ground in which to nest. It is a frequent sometimes swoops up to perch.
migrant outside its breeding areas, turning up along
coasts, on farmland, and on grass beside reservoirs.Very ROCK HOPPER
The Wheatear has strong legs and
much a terrestrial bird, it usually avoids trees and bushes. feet, ideal for the rocky habitat in
It frequently flies ahead of people, not going far, and which it is often found.
revealing its distinctive white
rump each time it moves. SUBSPECIES
VOICE Hard chak-chak,
bright wheet-chak-chak; O. o. leucorhoa
song long, rambling, quick (Greenland; W
warble with rolling, Europe in spring)
scratchy notes, often in
song-flight. richer
colours
NESTING Grassy cup,
in hole in ground, rabbit larger
burrow, or under fallen OCCURRENCE
rocks, in stone wall; SIMILAR SPECIES Breeds almost throughout Europe
5 or 6 eggs; 1 or 2 but very local, where open grassy
broods;April–July. BLACK-EARED WHINCHAT 32; or heathy ground is mixed with
FEEDING Bouncy hops, WHEATEAR 32; streaky brown scree, boulders, and cliffs, typically
rump;
buff back;
short runs, on open see p.301 see p.303 at rather high altitude or in hilly
ground, picking up more smaller areas. Migrants encountered on
insects and spiders; white fields, grassy areas, dunes, and golf
on tail
sometimes catches flies courses, from March to October.
in flight or with sudden Seen in the UK
short, fluttery leap. J F M A M JJ A S O N D
Length 14.5–15.5cm (5 3 ⁄4 –6in) Wingspan 26–32cm (10–12 1 ⁄2in) Weight 17–30g ( 5 ⁄8 –1 1 ⁄16oz)
Social Small flocks Lifespan Up to 5 years Status Secure
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