Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Eastern Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe melanoleuca), male
Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Male

Eastern Black-eared Wheatear

Oenanthe melanoleuca

The Eastern black-eared wheatear, Oenanthe melanoleuca, is a small, migratory passerine bird, once thought to be part of the thrush family but now classified under the Old World flycatchers. It is closely related to, yet distinct from, the Western black-eared wheatear.

Identification Tips

The breeding male is characterized by a predominantly white or near-white forehead, crown, and mantle with a buff tinge, contrasting with darker wings than those of the Northern wheatear. The underparts are white with a buff hue. The back, upper tail coverts, and most of the tail are white, while a striking black mask connects the ear coverts to the bill. The throat may be black or white. In non-breeding plumage, the bird's head and mantle take on a buff color, as do the underparts, with the intensity of the buff varying. The tail feathers, save for the central pair, are predominantly white, often extending to the tip on the inner web.

Habitat

This species breeds in the eastern Mediterranean, extending its range through Southeast Europe to the Caspian Sea and Iran.

Distribution

After the breeding season, the Eastern black-eared wheatear migrates to its wintering grounds in the Sudan.

Behaviour

The Eastern black-eared wheatear exhibits a migratory pattern and distinct seasonal changes in plumage. The male's appearance is more black-and-white when compared to the Western black-eared wheatear, especially due to the less buff-tinted upperparts.

Breeding

Breeding occurs in the eastern Mediterranean and extends to Southeast Europe, the Caspian Sea, and Iran.

Similar Species

The male Eastern black-eared wheatear can be distinguished from the Western black-eared wheatear by its whiter upperparts and the black mask that reaches just above the base of the bill. Black-throated individuals have more black on the throat and face, with the black typically ending more abruptly or in a straighter line. Females are colder in color and duller compared to their Western counterparts.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Eastern Black-eared Wheatears on Birda

Photos
Sightings

More Chats, Old World Flycatchers

Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Stewart W
Fantastic to be involved
Fantastic to be involved, great for mental health and gets you responding with the Challenges that are to takd part in.
Carrie
Makes you want to spot birds more
I think this app is fun. It makes you want to spot birds more so I guess in a way it encourages you to get out and about instead of sitting in front of the TV.
Pdydhdrexgi
Fantastic App
This is a really lovely app, for everyone interested in birds - from newbies to old hands. There is a very friendly feel to the community and you will genuinely learn a lot as you record your sightings and photos. There are lots of badges and competitions to keep you engaged, and a host of really useful features.
Emma L
App got me interested in birding!
Super friendly community <3 This app got me interested in birding! It teaches me cool stuff and its super friendly, and fun :) The species guide is really developing my knowledge, and i love seeing cool new birds from round the world!
JCBirding
Just what birding needs
We need more fun in birding, for years it has had a reputation for being up tight and stuffy and only perused by retirees and anoraks. Birda helps change that perception and firmly brings birding into the 21st century! Fun, interactive while still contributing to science and conservation. If you aren’t on it, why not??
Jane N
A great app
Enjoying it immensely and finding it useful too. Recording the different birds and counting them is showing me how the present climate is affecting them all. I've trebled the numbers by planting native hedging. A great app.
Louise L
Easy to use and accurate
Love this app. It is easy to use and accurate, Their backup communication is really good. I noted a missing species. All through the process, I was kept informed about the progress in correcting the information. I now have the corrected, updated version. 😁 Thanks!
Patricia L
Very encouraging birding app
Easy to use, fun to see progress and encouraging to receive feedback from other users.
778
Great bird recording
For a while I’ve been trying to find an app to easily record bird lists and day out and struggled to find one that I like. Birda is great for this, straightforward and a great community!
Emcil24
A Friendly Place
I love using the bird app, I have a pretty good knowledge of birds. But I do have some gaps in it, so it’s nice to have a safe space to check on a sighting to confirm the species. It’s really enjoyable and I love the badges you can collect. It’s like a real life Pokémon go.
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.