Bird Guide

Blackstart vs Pied Wheatear

Blackstart (Oenanthe melanura)

Blackstart

Oenanthe melanura

Small15 gRocky

The blackstart is around 14 cm (5.5 in) in length with a wingspan of 23–27 cm (9.1–10.6 in) and a weight of around 15 g (0.53 oz). The nominate race O. m. melanura has blueish ash-grey upperparts with darker wings and a black rump and tail. The belly and under-wings are greyish white; the bill and legs are black. The sexes are similar. The North African subspecies O. m. lypura and O. m. airensis are browner than the nominate.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Julien Renoult · CC BY 4.0
Pied Wheatear (Oenanthe pleschanka)

Pied Wheatear

Oenanthe pleschanka

Small19 gRocky

The crown, nape and neck of the adult male pied wheatear are pale brown, the feathers having pale tips and white bases. The mantle and scapulars are black with buff tips to the feathers. The back, rump and upper tail-coverts are creamy-white. The central pair of tail feathers are black with white bases but the rest are white with black tips, the outer pair having rather more black than the rest. There is a narrow buff-coloured line extending from the base of the beak to over the eye and the lores, ear coverts, chin, throat and upper breast are black.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Pied Wheatear
Recorded by Jochem Verweij · Call · Ögiy, O'giinuur, Arkhangai, Mongolia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Julien Renoult · CC BY 4.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Blackstart and Pied Wheatear.