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Isabelline Wheatear
(Oenanthe isabellina)
German name(s): "Isabellschmätzer"
Size: 15-16.5 cm
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Similar species |
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Physical description |
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Click here for a physical description
Isabelline Wheatears are medium-sized wheatears, which are roughly
robin-sized birds.
As opposed to many other
wheatears, the two sexes of this species look alike. The
only minor difference is that
males
have black lores, while those of
females
are brown.
Both sexes have a brownish-grey head, with white to creamy eyebrows that
meet at the base of the bill. The ear coverts are yellowish-brown,
while the chin is white to off-white. The front is creamy to buff,
with creamy vent and undertail coverts.
The back is brownish-grey to rufous-grey, with dark-grey flight
feathers with buff edge-lining. The uppertail is dark-grey.
The irises are dark; the straight, pointy bill is grey and
the legs and feet are dark-grey.
Juvenile
birds have duller colours than
adults,
with less colour contrast.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Isabelline
Wheatear at Wikipedia .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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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 Isabelline Wheatear is available
HERE
.
The range of the Isabelline Wheatear extends from the fringes
of the Sahara desert (and some oases in the desert), parts of
eastern Africa, from Egypt to Kenya/Tanzania, via Arabia to
western India. Further North, they are found from parts of
south-eastern Europe, via Asia Minor into southern, south-western
and central Asia, including much of Kazakhstan and Mongolia, and
parts of central China.
There are some reports of vagrant Isabelline Wheatears from
southern and eastern England, the coastline of the southern
North Sea and the Baltic Sea and even from Shetland.
In Europe Isabelline Wheatears are found basically only in the
South-east, from Greece via Bulgaria to southern Uraine,
but there are a few reports of vagrants further North (see above).
Isabelline Wheatears have a preference for often rock-strewn
short grass plains and slopes, in semi-arid regions on the border
between steppe and semi-desert.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
We have not seen an Isabelline Wheatear
in Europe yet. The photos shown below were taken in Egypt
(November 2017) and Georgia (June 2018), respectively.
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Photos |
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ADULT |
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FEMALE |
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Lateral view of a female Isabelline Wheatear looking at the
observer; note the characteristic brown lores - a male's
would be black (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[November 2017]
Dorsal view of a female Isabelline Wheatear (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[November 2017]
Frontal view of a moulting Isabelline Wheatear
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[June 2018]
Frontal view of a moulting Isabelline Wheatear
with its tail fanned (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[June 2018]
Lateral view of a moulting Isabelline Wheatear
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[June 2018]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
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Frontal view of a first-year(?) Isabelline Wheatear
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[November 2017]
Lateral view of a first-year(?) Isabelline Wheatear
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[November 2017]
Near-dorsal view of a first-year(?) Isabelline Wheatear
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[November 2017]
Dorsal view of a first-year(?) Isabelline Wheatear
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[November 2017]
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.