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Difference between revisions of "Northern Wheatear" - BirdForum Opus

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{{stub}}
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[[Image:Northern_Wheatear.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Male<br />Photo by {{user|Paul+Hackett|Paul Hackett}}]]
;Oenanthe oenanthe
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;[[:Category:Oenanthe|Oenanthe]] oenanthe
[[Image:Northern_Wheatear.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Photo by Paul Hackett]]
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==Identification==
==Bird Song==
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14½–16 cm length <br/>
 +
White rump, basal tail patches with black centre and terminal band.<br/>
 +
'''Breeding Male'''
 +
*Grey upperparts
 +
*Buff throat
 +
*Black wings and face mask
 +
*White stripe above the eye<br/>
 +
 
 +
'''Female'''
 +
*Sandy-brown above and buff below
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*Eye patch and wings are brown<br/>
 +
Autumnal male, female and juvenile are browner in the autumn.
 +
<br />
 +
 
 +
'''Gallery''' of Northern Wheatear photos.  (Click on an image to enlarge it.)
 +
<gallery>
 +
Image:Female-wheatear-nice-pose.jpg|Female<br />Photo by {{user|Jacksnipe|Jacksnipe}}
 +
Image:Juv WheatearSP079421C.jpg|Juvenile<br />Photo by {{user|Nigel+Kiteley |Nigel Kiteley}}
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Image:IMG 83533.jpg|In flight<br />Photo by {{user|targetman|targetman}}<br />Lincs, May 2012
 +
 
 +
</gallery>
 +
 
 +
==Distribution==
 +
[[Europe]], [[Asia]], [[Africa]], [[North America]] and [[Greenland]].<br />
 +
'''Europe''': Breeds in most of Europe including for example [[Iceland]] and the [[Faroe Islands]], in the south only at higher elevation. These populations winter in Africa. <br />
 +
'''North America and Greenland''': Populations breeding in Greenland and eastern [[Canada]] migrates to Africa (via western Europe). Populations breeding in [[Alaska]] and northwestern Canada migrate by a western route through Asia and the [[Middle East]] to eastern Africa south of the Sahara. Both of these populations give rise to vagrants seen further south in the [[America]]s and The [[Caribbean]]<br />
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'''Asia''': Breads across the entire northern half of the continent, migrating to sub-Saharan Africa<br />
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'''Africa''': As long as the taxon ''seebohmi'' is considered part of Northern Wheatear, there are breeding birds in northern Africa north of the Sahara; these seemingly spread out after the breeding season. Otherwise, Africa is important as the winter range for most populations.
 +
==Taxonomy==
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[http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=2196461 This thread] discusses aspects of Northern Wheatear taxonomy.
 +
 
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''Oenanthe oenanthe'' has four subspecies:<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>
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*''O. o. leucorhoa''
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:*North-eastern [[Canada]] to [[Greenland]] and [[Iceland]]; migrates to western [[Africa]]
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*''O. o. oenanthe''
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:*[[British Isles]] to [[Mediterranean]] and [[Siberia]]; migrates to central [[Africa]]
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*''O. o. libanotica''
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:*Southern [[Spain]] and Balearic Is. to [[Iran]], [[Kazakhstan]] and [[Mongolia]]
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*''O. o. seebohmi''
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:*[[Morocco]] to north-eastern [[Algeria]]; migrates to [[Mauritania]]
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:*[http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=137889 This thread] discusses the possibility that ''seebohmi'' may be a separate species
 +
 
 +
==Habitat==
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Rocky tundra, barren slopes, hill pastures, sand dunes.
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==Behaviour==
 +
====Diet====
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Diet includes insects, some berries.
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====Breeding====
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Nest is on ground on dry tundra, usually in hole in a wall, under stones, or in old rabbit burrow. and is a  cup of grass, twigs, weeds, lined with finer material such as moss, lichens, rootlets. The clutch is usually 5-6 pale blue eggs; unmarked, or with fine reddish brown dots, which are incubated by the female for 13-14 days.
 +
==Vocalisation==
 
<flashmp3>Oenanthe oenanthe (song).mp3</flashmp3><br />
 
<flashmp3>Oenanthe oenanthe (song).mp3</flashmp3><br />
 
''[[Media:Oenanthe oenanthe (song).mp3|Listen in an external program]]''
 
''[[Media:Oenanthe oenanthe (song).mp3|Listen in an external program]]''
 +
==References==
 +
#{{Ref-Clements6thDec08}}#Wikipedia
 +
#Birdwatchers Pocket Guide ISBN 1-85732-804-3
 +
#houghtonmifflinbooks
 +
#Collins Field Guide 6th Edition
 +
# BF member personal observation
 
==External Links==
 
==External Links==
*[http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showgallery.php?mcats=all&what=allfields&si=Oenanthe+oenanthe+ View more images of Northern Wheatear in the gallery]
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{{GSearch|Oenanthe_oenanthe}}
[[Category:Birds]]
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{{Video|Northern_Wheatear}}
 +
 
 +
[[Category:Birds]] [[Category:Oenanthe]][[Category:Bird Songs]] [[Category:Videos]]

Revision as of 19:37, 23 October 2012

Male
Photo by Paul Hackett
Oenanthe oenanthe

Identification

14½–16 cm length
White rump, basal tail patches with black centre and terminal band.
Breeding Male

  • Grey upperparts
  • Buff throat
  • Black wings and face mask
  • White stripe above the eye

Female

  • Sandy-brown above and buff below
  • Eye patch and wings are brown

Autumnal male, female and juvenile are browner in the autumn.

Gallery of Northern Wheatear photos. (Click on an image to enlarge it.)

Distribution

Europe, Asia, Africa, North America and Greenland.
Europe: Breeds in most of Europe including for example Iceland and the Faroe Islands, in the south only at higher elevation. These populations winter in Africa.
North America and Greenland: Populations breeding in Greenland and eastern Canada migrates to Africa (via western Europe). Populations breeding in Alaska and northwestern Canada migrate by a western route through Asia and the Middle East to eastern Africa south of the Sahara. Both of these populations give rise to vagrants seen further south in the Americas and The Caribbean
Asia: Breads across the entire northern half of the continent, migrating to sub-Saharan Africa
Africa: As long as the taxon seebohmi is considered part of Northern Wheatear, there are breeding birds in northern Africa north of the Sahara; these seemingly spread out after the breeding season. Otherwise, Africa is important as the winter range for most populations.

Taxonomy

This thread discusses aspects of Northern Wheatear taxonomy.

Oenanthe oenanthe has four subspecies:[1]

  • O. o. leucorhoa
  • O. o. oenanthe
  • O. o. libanotica
  • O. o. seebohmi

Habitat

Rocky tundra, barren slopes, hill pastures, sand dunes.

Behaviour

Diet

Diet includes insects, some berries.

Breeding

Nest is on ground on dry tundra, usually in hole in a wall, under stones, or in old rabbit burrow. and is a cup of grass, twigs, weeds, lined with finer material such as moss, lichens, rootlets. The clutch is usually 5-6 pale blue eggs; unmarked, or with fine reddish brown dots, which are incubated by the female for 13-14 days.

Vocalisation

<flashmp3>Oenanthe oenanthe (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program

References

  1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
  2. Wikipedia
  3. Birdwatchers Pocket Guide ISBN 1-85732-804-3
  4. houghtonmifflinbooks
  5. Collins Field Guide 6th Edition
  6. BF member personal observation

External Links

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