Pied Wheatear

The pied wheatear, Oenanthe pleschanka, is a small, insectivorous passerine bird, once thought to belong to the thrush family but now classified under the Old World flycatchers. The male is a strikingly patterned bird with a white crown tinged with brown, a black face and throat, and a white rump. The female is more subdued in color, with a browner plumage and a sandy buff wash on the head.

Identification Tips

Adult males can be identified by their bold black and white markings, with a white crown, black face, and throat, and a distinctive white rump. Females are browner with less white on the rump and a sandy buff head. Both sexes have white tail feathers with a characteristic black "T" pattern. The bird measures approximately 14 centimeters (5.5 inches) in length.

Habitat

The pied wheatear favors open, stony, and sparsely vegetated areas for its habitat. It nests in holes, under stones, or in rock crevices within these environments.

Distribution

This central Asiatic species breeds from southeastern Europe to China and winters in India and northeastern Africa. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe.

Behaviour

The pied wheatear is somewhat shy and typically found alone or in pairs. It perches conspicuously on vantage points, such as bushes or rocks, often bobbing its tail while scanning for prey, which it catches in brief forays to the ground.

Song & Calls

The male's song, performed in early summer and again in August, is a low-pitched, musical series of variable and imitative notes. The call is a harsh "zack zack."

Breeding

Breeding occurs in open, stony regions, with the bird laying four to six eggs in a chosen nesting site. The eggs are greenish-blue with rust-colored spots.

Similar Species

The pied wheatear can be confused with the northern wheatear, but it is distinguishable by the darker plumage of the females and the less white on the rump.

Diet and Feeding

The diet consists mainly of insects such as ants, grasshoppers, beetles, flies, moths, and their larvae, as well as spiders, mites, and occasionally seeds.

Conservation Status

The pied wheatear is classified as "Least Concern" by the IUCN, with a stable population estimated to be between 400,000 and 8,400,000 individuals globally. There are no significant threats identified for this species at present.