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19

Black Wheatear (Oenanthe leucura) German name(s): "Trauersteinschmätzer", "Trauerschmätzer" Size: 16-18 cm Weight: 37-44 g

Europe: Family Group 19 Family Group 19 Table European Robin Common Redstart Black Redstart Bluethroat Whinchat European Stonechat Common Rock Thrush Blue Rock Thrush Common Nightingale Northern Wheatear Isabelline Wheatear Black-eared Wheatear Black Wheatear White-throated Dipper Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names European birds home page

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Black Wheatears are large wheatears, which are roughly robin-sized birds. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are different. Male Black Wheatears are all-black, except for the vent, rump, undertail coverts and parts of the tail. The tail is mostly white, with a broad black terminal band and with central tail feathers that have more black on them than the outer feathers, creating a black "inverted T". Females are very similar to males, but sooty-grey where the latter are black.

Taxonomy, classification See Black Wheatear at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Black Wheatear is available HERE . The range of the Black Wheatear is limited to north-western Africa and Iberia. In North-west Africa they are present from Western Sahara in the West, throughout and around the Atlas mountain range, to the north-western corner of Libya. In Europe the range of Black Wheatears is limited to mostly south-eastern Iberia, but also in the central highlands, up to the border region with northern/central Portugal. Only a few birds move around the eastern fringe of the Pyrenees into coastal Mediterranean far south-western France. Black Wheatears have a preference for breeding in open, often barren and/or stony, country with scattered trees, shrubs or rocks, usually below 600 m altitude.

Sightings Click here for sighting information M. Eaton reports spotting a Black Wheatear at Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, in September 2019. All photographic information presented on this page has kindly been contributed by M. Eaton.

Photos

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male Black Wheatear (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, September 2019]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a male Black Wheatear (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, September 2019]

Lateral view of a male Black Wheatear (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, September 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a male Black Wheatear (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, September 2019]

Dorsal view of a male Black Wheatear (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, September 2019]

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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