[group] Chats and Old World flycatchers | [order] PASSERIFORMES | [family] Muscicapidae | [latin] Oenanthe oenanthe | [UK] Northern Wheatear | [FR] Traquet motteux | [DE] Steinschmatzer | [ES] Collalba Gris | [NL] Tapuit | [IRL] Clochrán
Measurements
spanwidth min.: 28 cm
spanwidth max.: 32 cm
size min.: 14 cm
size max.: 16 cm
Breeding
incubation min.: 13 days
incubation max.: 15 days
fledging min.: 12 days
fledging max.: 15 days
broods 2
eggs min.: 3
eggs max.: 7
Status: Widespread summer visitor to uplands and scrubland throughout Ireland, from mid-March to early-October. Common passage migrant to all coasts in spring and autumn.
Conservation Concern: Amber-listed in Ireland due to a decline in the breeding population. The European population is currently assessed as Declining, due to a moderate ongoing decline in the population.
Identification: Between Robin and Song Thrush in size. In all plumages, has a very obvious tail pattern of a broad lack stripe at the tip with another extending towards the white rump. The whole effect is of a black "T".
Adult summer male Wheatears have a pale grey crown, nape and back, as well as a broad black stripe extending from the beak through the eye to the neck. Also has a thin white supercilium. The throat and top of the breast are beige-brown, varying in extent and intensity, while the rest of the underparts are white. The wings are all black.
Autumn males have the grey on the crown and back replaced with pale brown, while the black "eye-mask" is reduced in intensity and may be completely absent (cf first-winter and autumn female).
Adult summer females resemble summer males, but lack the black "eye-mask", this being a pale brown instead. The white supercilium also tends to be less obvious.
Autumn females are very similar to autumn male Wheatears, but never show the black "eye-mask".
Juveniles have a streaked grey head and back, as well as a finely barred breast. The wings are brown. This plumage is lost a few weeks after fledging.
First-winter Wheatears are nearly inseperable from autumn females.
Call: Main calls heard are a soft whistle "hiit" and a harder "chack". The song is quick, melodic whistle, frequently including the "hiit" call note. May perform a short song-flight.
Diet: Insects and other invertebrates.
Breeding: Breeds in a variety of habitats, typically with some areas of exposed rock and short vegetation, such as along rocky coasts, pasture with stone walls and bogs in uplands.
Wintering: Winters in southern Africa. Has one of the longest migration routes of any songbird. Birds breeding in north-eastern Canada fly almost non-stop across the northern Atlantic to Iberia and North Africa.
Where to See: Widespread, especially in the west of Ireland. A common migrant throughout Ireland in spring and autumn, even in the Midlands.
Physical characteristics
Specific characters most obvious in spring and summer, with fully blue-grey crown, nape, and back of male diagnostic, and always pale or clean throat and breast of female helpful. Sexes markedly dissimilar in breeding plumage, less so in winter.
Habitat
Breeds from high and low Arctic through boreal and temperate zones to steppe, Mediterranean, and subtropical arid zones, and from extreme continental to extreme oceanic climates, reaching Nearctic tundra from both European and Asian distribution areas. Much of this expansion must have occurred since the last glaciation and far surpasses that of other Oenanthe with which however it shares constraints of requiring ready-made rock or burrow nest-site immediately neighbouring seasonally insect-rich bare patches or short swards for easy foraging. Has exploited stony and shrub tundra, rocky slopes, scree, and alpine meadows above treeline in mountains.
Other details
Oenanthe oenanthe is a widespread summer visitor to most of Europe, which accounts for less than half of its global breeding range. Its European breeding population is very large (>4,600,000 pairs), and was stable between 1970-1990. Although it remained stable in various countries?particularly in eastern Europe?during 1990- 2000, the species suffered widespread declines, including in the key Turkish population, and underwent a moderate decline (>10%) overall. Consequently, this previously Secure species is now provisionally evaluated as Declining.
Feeding
Diet based chiefly on insects, also spiders, molluscs, and other small invertebrates, supplemented by berries. Normally locates prey visually, chiefly on ground or in low vegetation. Two main foraging techniques, which may be used in same area. 1) Running, in flat areas of short turf, runs short distance, stops to pick up item or to scan ground ahead, and then runs on. 2) Perching, in areas of scattered perches, uses these to scan ground nearby, drops down for item, and then returns to perch or moves to new one.
Breeding
In Britain and north-west Europe egg-laying starts from mid-April to June. In South and central Europe from early May to June. In Iceland from late May to late June and in Scandinavia from early to mid-May to early July. 1-2 broods. Nest is a hole in wall, among stones or rocks, in burrow, or in ruined building, will also use nest-box or holes in wide variety of man-made objects. Nest is a foundation (absent in nests in rock crevices) comprises large, untidy mass (up to 25 cm across) of dried stems of bracken, heather, and other plants, plus grass and occasional large feathers- cup more tightly woven of finer grass stems and leaves, with some moss and lichen. Clutch: 4-7 (2-9) incubated in c. 13 days (10-16) by female only, though male occasionally helps. Young fledge on average after 15 days (10-21), though most young already leave actual nest in burrow and move around in it at about 10 days.
