Finschs Wheatear (Oenanthe finschii)

Finschs Wheatear (Oenanthe finschii)

[order] PASSERIFORMES | [family] Muscicapidae | [latin] Oenanthe finschii | [UK] Finschs Wheatear | [FR] Traquet de Finsch | [DE] Felsen-Steinschmatzer | [ES] Collalba de Finsch | [NL] Finsch’ Tapuit

Subspecies

Physical charateristics

In summer the male Finsch’s Wheatear is a white and black bird. The white crown, central back and belly contrast with the black face, throat and wings. The tail and rump are white, with an inverted black T giving a pattern like Black-eared Wheatear, but with a uniformly wide terminal band.

The female is brown-grey above, becoming dirty white below. The tail pattern is similar to the male?s. Its call is a whistled tsit, and the song is a mix of clear notes with whistles and crackling.

Range

Eurasia : Southcentral

Habitat

In continental lower-middle latitudes of shuth-east sector of west Palearcitc, in dry warm temperate and steppe zones.
Breeds in USSR on bare clay sands, rocky steppes, and ravines heaped with stones in low mountains, up to zone of pistachios at 1500 m. Oneast coast of Caspian, occurs on rocky footills and on plains, nesting in rodent holes.

Reproduction

The nest is built in a rock crevice, and 4-5 eggs is the normal clutch. Incubation 12-13 dys, by female only. . Nest site in hole in rock outcrop, among stones, or in bank. Less commonly in rodent burrow, but in sandy desert.

Feeding habits

Mainly insects, also some seeds and other plant material.

Conservation

This species has a very large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is extremely large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Migration

Partially migratory. Difficult to determine status in some parts of range, with wintering birds of unknown origin swelling local, probably resident, populations. Altitudinal differences in migratory status may occur, in south-west Iran, a summer visitor to Tang-i-Shul and other breeding grounds exceeding 2000 m but some may be resident lower down. It wanders to Cyprus with some frequency.

Distribution map