Wheatear
Encyclopedia
The wheatears are passerine
bird
s of the genus
Oenanthe. They were formerly considered to be members of the thrush
family Turdidae, but are now more commonly placed in the flycatcher
family Muscicapidae. This is an Old World
group, but the Northern Wheatear
has established a foothold in eastern Canada
and Greenland
and in western Canada and Alaska
.
"wheatear" is not derived from "wheat
" or any sense of "ear
", but is a 16th-century linguistic corruption of "white" and "arse", referring to the prominent white rump found in most species.
Oenanthe is also the name of a plant
genus, the water dropwort
s, and is derived from the Greek oenos (οίνος) "wine" and anthos (ανθός) "flower". In the case of the plant genus, it refers to the wine-like scent of the flowers. In the case of the wheatear, it refers to the Northern Wheatear's return to Greece in the spring just as the grapevines
blossom.
; only the male has the striking plumage patterns characteristic of the genus, though the females share the white or red rump patches.
s of open, often dry, country. They often nest in rock crevices or disused burrows. Northern species are long-distance migrants
, wintering in Africa
.
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s of the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Oenanthe. They were formerly considered to be members of the thrush
Thrush (bird)
The thrushes, family Turdidae, are a group of passerine birds that occur worldwide.-Characteristics:Thrushes are plump, soft-plumaged, small to medium-sized birds, inhabiting wooded areas, and often feed on the ground or eat small fruit. The smallest thrush may be the Forest Rock-thrush, at and...
family Turdidae, but are now more commonly placed in the flycatcher
Old World flycatcher
The Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae is a large family of small passerine birds mostly restricted to the Old World. These are mainly small arboreal insectivores, many of which, as the name implies, take their prey on the wing.-Characteristics:...
family Muscicapidae. This is an Old World
Old World
The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
group, but the Northern Wheatear
Northern Wheatear
The Northern Wheatear or Wheatear is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae...
has established a foothold in eastern Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
and in western Canada and Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
.
Etymology
The nameCommon name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
"wheatear" is not derived from "wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
" or any sense of "ear
Ear
The ear is the organ that detects sound. It not only receives sound, but also aids in balance and body position. The ear is part of the auditory system....
", but is a 16th-century linguistic corruption of "white" and "arse", referring to the prominent white rump found in most species.
Oenanthe is also the name of a plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
genus, the water dropwort
Water dropwort
The water dropworts, Oenanthe , are a genus of plants in the family Apiaceae. Most of the species grow in damp ground, in marshes or in water....
s, and is derived from the Greek oenos (οίνος) "wine" and anthos (ανθός) "flower". In the case of the plant genus, it refers to the wine-like scent of the flowers. In the case of the wheatear, it refers to the Northern Wheatear's return to Greece in the spring just as the grapevines
Vitis
Vitis is a genus of about 60 species of vining plants in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The genus is made up of species predominantly from the Northern hemisphere. It is economically important as the source of grapes, both for direct consumption of the fruit and for fermentation to produce...
blossom.
Description
Most species have characteristic black and white or red and white markings on their rumps or their long tails. Most species are strongly sexually dimorphicSexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
; only the male has the striking plumage patterns characteristic of the genus, though the females share the white or red rump patches.
Species list
There are 22 wheatear species:- Northern WheatearNorthern WheatearThe Northern Wheatear or Wheatear is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae...
, Oenanthe oenanthe - Isabelline WheatearIsabelline WheatearThe Isabelline Wheatear, Oenanthe isabellina, is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae....
, Oenanthe isabellina - Desert WheatearDesert WheatearThe Desert Wheatear is a wheatear, a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae....
, Oenanthe deserti - Black-eared WheatearBlack-eared WheatearThe Black-eared Wheatear is a wheatear, a small migratory passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae....
, Oenanthe hispanica - Pied WheatearPied WheatearThe Pied Wheatear, Oenanthe pleschanka, is a wheatear, a small insectivorous passerine that was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae....
, Oenanthe pleschanka - Cyprus WheatearCyprus WheatearThe Cyprus Wheatear or Cyprus Pied Wheatear is a small, 14–15 cm long passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae...
, Oenanthe cypriaca - Finsch's WheatearFinsch's WheatearThe Finsch's Wheatear, Oenanthe finschii , is a wheatear, a small insectivorous passerine that was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae....
, Oenanthe finschii - Mourning WheatearMourning WheatearThe Mourning Wheatear is a bird, one of 14 species of wheatear found in the Palearctic region. It is a small passerine in a group formerly classed as members of the Thrush family Turdidae, but now more generally considered to be part of the Old World Flycatcher family Muscicapidae.The Mourning...
, Oenanthe lugens - Arabian WheatearArabian WheatearThe Arabian Wheatear is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family. It is found in Oman, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 26 July 2007....
, Oenanthe lugentoides - Hooded WheatearHooded WheatearThe Hooded Wheatear, Oenanthe monacha, is a wheatear, a small insectivorous passerine that was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae....
, Oenanthe monacha - White-crowned WheatearWhite-crowned WheatearThe White-crowned Wheatear, or White-crowned Black Wheatear, Oenanthe leucopyga, is a wheatear, a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae.This large 17–18 cm long...
, Oenanthe leucopyga - Black WheatearBlack WheatearThe Black Wheatear, Oenanthe leucura, is a wheatear, a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae....
, Oenanthe leucura - Kurdish Wheatear, Oenanthe xanthoprymna
- Rufous-tailed WheatearRufous-tailed WheatearThe Kurdish Wheatear , also known as the Kurdistan Wheatear, Chestnut-rumped Wheatear, or Red-rumped Wheatear, is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family. The Red-tailed Wheatear The Kurdish Wheatear (Oenanthe xanthoprymna), also known as the Kurdistan Wheatear, Chestnut-rumped Wheatear, or...
, Oenanthe chrysopygia - Red-rumped WheatearRed-rumped WheatearThe Red-rumped Wheatear or Buff-rumped Wheatear is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family. It is found in Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia,and Yemen.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry...
, Oenanthe moesta - Hume's WheatearHume's WheatearThe Hume's Wheatear is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family.It is found in Afghanistan, Bahrain, India, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates.-References:...
, Oenanthe alboniger - Mountain WheatearMountain WheatearThe Mountain Wheatear or Mountain Chat, Oenanthe monticola, is a small insectivorous passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae....
, Oenanthe monticola - Somali WheatearSomali WheatearThe Somali Wheatear is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family. It is found in Ethiopia and Somalia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland....
, Oenanthe phillipsi - Variable WheatearVariable WheatearThe Variable Wheatear is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family. It is found in Afghanistan, Egypt, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Russia, State of Israel, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, and Uzbekistan.Its natural habitat is hot...
, Oenanthe picata - Capped WheatearCapped WheatearThe Capped Wheatear, Oenanthe pileata, is a small insectivorous passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae....
, Oenanthe pileata - Red-breasted Wheatear, Oenanthe bottae
- Heuglin's WheatearHeuglin's WheatearHeuglin's Wheatear is a small passerine bird in the wheatear genus Oenanthe. It occurs in a band across Africa to the south of the Sahara. It was formerly classified as a subspecies of Botta's Wheatear of the Ethiopian Highlands and Arabia but is now usually regarded as a separate species...
, Oenanthe heuglini
Behaviour
Wheatears are terrestrial insectivorous birdBird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s of open, often dry, country. They often nest in rock crevices or disused burrows. Northern species are long-distance migrants
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
, wintering in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.