About the Finsch's Wheatear
Finsch's wheatear 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.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
A 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). 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.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in India.
When to see it
Peak activity in May · a variable species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Red-tailed WheatearOenanthe chrysopygiaIt is 14.5 cm long with a wingspan of 26–27 cm and a weight of about 20-27 g.
Mourning WheatearOenanthe lugensThe mourning wheatear measures 14–16 cm (5.5–6.3 in) in length and weighs between 19–25 g (0.67–0.88 oz).
Hume's WheatearOenanthe albonigraHume's wheatear is a large wheatear with a dark black head and back contrasting sharply with a pure white breast and belly.
Learn the Finsch's Wheatear for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
Play BeakBrainEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.