Page 304 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

CHATS AND THRUSHES
Order Passeriformes Family Turdidae Species Oenanthe leucura
Black Wheatear

wings look paler
in flight
black body stout
black
bill
ADULT
body duller and
black browner than
“T”-shaped male’s
mark on
white tail
IN FLIGHT

FEMALE
strong blackish
legs
white
vent
FLIGHT: quite strong, often low; fast up and down
slopes or across cliff faces. mostly white
tail
ne of the larger wheatears of the region, the
OBlack Wheatear is also more of a resident than
the others. It is declining in some northern parts of
its range. It prefers rocky or stony ground, and is
often on or around the base of sheer cliffs, being
surprisingly inconspicuous in the strong light and shade MALE
of scree slopes or boulders. If it flies, (SPRING)
however, its very large and striking
white rump and tail become
immediately obvious.
VOICE Bright, whistled pewp, hard
tet-tet; song low, rich or lighter, harsh
twittering, sometimes in song-flight.
NESTING Grassy cup in hole in ground,
rabbit burrow, under fallen rocks, or in
stone wall; 5 or 6 eggs;
1 or 2 broods;April–July. UPRIGHT STANCE
FEEDING Forages on ground,moving up Like all wheatears and chats, the Black Wheatear has
and down slopes in short flights; swoops a bold, upright posture on strong legs, and moves
from perches on insects and spiders. with quick, leaping hops.
OCCURRENCE
SIMILAR SPECIES Breeds on slopes with rocks and
scree from Pyrenees southwards
BLACK-EARED WHEATEAR 32; BLACKBIRD 32; through Spain and Portugal.
WHEATEAR 32; see p.300 see p.311 Resident there but does not move
see p.301
paler outside this restricted range. Often
overall black
white tail seen perched on cliffs, crags, and
below boulders or feeding on patches
of short grass.
Seen in the UK
JF M A M J JA S ON D
Length 16–18cm (6 1 ⁄2 –7in) Wingspan 30–35cm (12–14in) Weight 25–35g ( 7 ⁄8 –1 1 ⁄4oz)
Social Family groups Lifespan Up to 5 years Status Endangered
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