Isabelline Wheatear

The Isabelline Wheatear, Oenanthe isabellina, is a small passerine bird, a migrant that graces open landscapes with its presence. It is a member of the Old World flycatcher family, Muscicapidae, and is known for its insectivorous habits. This bird is distinguished by its tawny, isabelline coloration—a pale grey-yellow, fawn, cream-brown, or parchment hue—and a more upright stance compared to its relatives.

Identification Tips

When observing the Isabelline Wheatear, look for a bird approximately 15–16.5 centimeters in length, with a larger and more upright profile than the Northern Wheatear. Its plumage is predominantly sandy brown with an isabelline tinge, and it sports a white rump and upper tail-coverts. The tail is brownish-black with a significant white base, particularly noticeable in the outer feathers. Both sexes appear similar, with white underwing coverts, contrasting with the grey-mottled underwings of the commoner Northern Wheatear.

Habitat

The Isabelline Wheatear favors open country, barren lands, arid regions, steppes, and high plateaus. It is also found on the lower slopes of hills, adapting to a life in expansive, unobstructed terrains.

Distribution

This species breeds across southern Russia and Central Asia, extending to northern Pakistan. During the winter months, it migrates to Africa and northwestern India. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe.

Behaviour

The Isabelline Wheatear is an active bird, characterized by its long hops across the ground and its tendency to perch on small bushes or other prominences. It exhibits a restless nature, often seen bobbing and flaring its tail. While it occasionally catches insects in flight, it primarily forages on the ground, probing the soil with its beak for ants, grasshoppers, moths, flies, and other invertebrates.

Song & Calls

The bird's vocalizations include a chirp and sometimes a loud whistle. Its song is reminiscent of a lark, starting with a croaking sound followed by a series of whistles and mimicked calls of other bird species.

Breeding

The Isabelline Wheatear nests underground, often utilizing the abandoned burrows of small mammals. The nest is constructed from dried grasses, and the female lays four to six pale blue eggs, sometimes speckled with reddish marks. Both parents are involved in feeding the chicks with a diet rich in caterpillars and insects.

Similar Species

The Isabelline Wheatear can be confused with the Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) due to their similar size and appearance. However, the Isabelline is larger, paler, and has a longer beak and paler ear-coverts.

Diet and Feeding

Its diet is primarily composed of insects such as ants, grasshoppers, moths, flies, mites, spiders, and larvae. Occasionally, it may consume seeds.

Conservation Status

The Isabelline Wheatear is classified as "Least Concern" by the IUCN Red List. With an extensive range and a stable population estimated between 26 million to 378 million individuals, the species does not currently face significant threats to its survival.