Wheatear from Oman (2 Viewers)

[michael-ibk]

Just a Northern Wheatear? That's what I think but not totally happy with ... Southern Oman, 28/2/24

 

[dwatsonbirder]

Why not female Desert wheatear?

 

[Butty]

Desert wheatear: black tail, upperparts paler than pied wheatear.

 

[michael-ibk]

Thanks @dwatsonbirder and @Butty.

I had considered Desert (a lifer species for me in Oman) but thought my bird was to grey and had too much black in the wing compared to the females I saw on ebird. But I'm sure you're right, I'm not familiar with it, and certainly makes more sense than my Northern.

 

[igorfest]

Tail is all black, pure grey plumage and a cinnamon cast on the cheecks... so why not a Blackstart (Oenanthe melanura)? In Oman it's a common species, in the right habitat.

Ciao, Igor

 

[kuzeycem]

Wings too long, underparts too white.

Tail is all black, pure grey plumage and a cinnamon cast on the cheecks... so why not a Blackstart (Oenanthe melanura)? In Oman it's a common species, in the right habitat.

Ciao, Igor

 

[Andy Adcock]

Blackstart for me, thought so before I read Igorfest's post, even has the little rufous cheek patch.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Wings too long, underparts too white.

I think that's purely down to the lighting, look at the third image here.

https://ebird.org/species/blacks1/

 

[Grahame Walbridge]

Come guys, its patently a female Desert Wheatear, median coverts are black and the tail base has white webs to R5 and R6 which are clearly visible, hardly features of Blackstart!

Grahame

 

[Butty]

tail base has white webs to R5 and R6 which are clearly visible, hardly features of Blackstart!

Black median coverts (and contrast between flight-feathers+greater covers and remainder of wing) are clear, but I see no definite visible white on base of outermost tail-feather, let alone 2nd-outermost (t5-t6) - just overlapping white upper- and undertail-coverts.

 

[Valéry Schollaert]

Desert Wheater has a all black tail indeed, but the shape is very different from the Blackstart, check here photos I took of Oenanthe melanura in Oman.

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

Having only once seen Desert wheatear, and Blackstart never so far, I can just follow the books,
and there it seems to me that there is also another feature visible making this Desert wheatear:
Uppertail coverts seem to be white here (should be black in Blackstart, contrasting with white undertail coverts)

 

[Bubbs]

If this is a Blackstart then I’m a Desert Wheatear 🤣

 

[KenM]

If this is a Blackstart then I’m a Desert Wheatear 🤣

So you’re Deserting Blackstart for Wheatear then.🤣👍

 

[Harrybongo]

So you’re Deserting Blackstart for Wheatear then.🤣👍

Boom! Boom! 😂 👍