Northern Wheatear

Oenanthe oenanthe (Linnaeus, 1758)

2019-04-14 Tyumen region, Tyumen, Onohino	© Nadezhda Bogomyakova

Description

The Northern Wheatear is lesser than sparrow. The male on breeding plumage has grey upperparts, light-rufous or buffish breast following in white on abdomen, black wings, face mask and inverted T-pattern at the end of the tail, white rump and uppertail. The female is much more pale and has indistinct brownish mask, rufous- or gray-brownish upperparts, dark-brown wings and rufous, buffy or brownish ton on the breast. There are females dimmer and brighter as males. In autumn it resembles the female apart from the black wings. The Northern Wheatear moves by hops with abrupt stops, often curtseys and tail fanning that is characteristic to all wheatears. It flies low over the earth, flight is original dancing. On the flight the white spot on the base of the tail and the uppertail is well appreciable. It prefers to sit on large stones, hillocks, poles, constructions. Weight 18-30 grams, length 15-18, wing 8,8-10,5, wingspan 28-32 cm.

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