Summary
Finsch's wheatear (Oenanthe finschii) is a wheatear, a small insectivorous passerine that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family, Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher of the family Muscicapidae.
| Finsch's wheatear | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Muscicapidae |
| Genus: | Oenanthe |
| Species: | O. finschii
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| Binomial name | |
| Oenanthe finschii (Heuglin, 1869)
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Taxonomy and etymology
editThe common name and scientific name commemorate the German ethnographer, naturalist, and colonial explorer Friedrich Hermann Otto Finsch (8 August 1839 – 31 January 1917, Braunschweig).[2]
Subspecies
editThere are two recognized subspecies:[3][4]
- O. f. finschii (Oates, 1890) – The nominate subspecies. Summers and breeds from southern Turkey south to northern Israel, and east to western Iran; winters in Cyprus and Egypt.
- O. f. barnesi (Hoeglin, 1869) – Summers and breeds from eastern Turkey to eastern and central Iran, southern Kazakhstan, and western Pakistan and Afghanistan; winters in southwestern Asia.
Description
editA medium-sized elegant wheatear with long wings and long legs. It measures 14 cm (5.5 in) long, with 25–27 cm (9.8–10.6 in) wingspan, and weigh 21–32 g (0.74–1.13 oz).[5] 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 eastern 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.
Ecology
editFinsch's wheatear breeds in semi-desert and stony hillsides from Turkey east to Afghanistan and western Pakistan. It is a short-distance migrant, wintering in Egypt, Cyprus and the Greater Middle East. The nest is built in a rock crevice, and 4-5 eggs is the normal clutch.
It feeds mainly on insects.
Status
editThe species has a wide distribution range, a large population, and although its population trends are unknown, they are not believed to be fast enough to approach vulnerability. As a result, it is classified as "Least Concern" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).[6]
In Europe, the estimated breeding population ranges from 102,000 to 309,000 pairs, representing approximately 25% of the species' global range. This translates to a preliminary global population estimate of 816,000 to 2,470,000 mature individuals, which requires further validation.[7]
References
edit- ^ BirdLife International. (2024). "Oenanthe finschii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2024: e.T22710292A264556974. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2024-2.RLTS.T22710292A264556974.en. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael (2003). Whose Birds? Men and Women Commemorated in the Common Names of Birds. London: Christopher Helm. p. 127.
- ^ "Finsch's Wheatear - Oenanthe finschii". Observation.org. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
- ^ "Oenanthe finschii (Finsch's Wheatear) - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
- ^ "Finsch's Wheatear (Oenanthe finschii) - BirdID's Bird Guide - Nord University - Birdid". www.birdid.no. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
- ^ "Finsch's Wheatear (Oenanthe finschii) | Text | BirdLife International". datazone.birdlife.org. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
- ^ Collar, Nigel (2020). "Finsch's Wheatear (Oenanthe finschii)". Birds of the World Online. 1.0. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY. doi:10.2173/bow.finwhe1.01. ISSN 2771-3105.