Red-rumped Wheatear
Oenanthe moesta
The Red-rumped Wheatear (Oenanthe moesta) is a rare chats, old world flycatchers, and alli found in 6 countries, weighing about 30 g. The red-rumped wheatear or buff-rumped wheatear is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae.
About the Red-rumped Wheatear
The red-rumped wheatear or buff-rumped wheatear is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in North Africa and the Middle East.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The red-rumped wheatear is a compact, big-headed wheatear with a rufous rump and all dark tail. the male has a grey crown and nape with a black throat and face and white supercilium. The shoulders and back are black with white fringes to the feathers, the rump and base of the tail are rufous and the distal part of the tail is black. Female is paler with a rufous crown and cheeks. Juveniles are similar to females but are less rufous and do show faint spots and streaks. Length is 16 cm. The fly low to the ground with a loose flapping flight that resembles a skylark. Voice: The territorial song, given by both sexes, seems to vary geographically from a harsher chattering song in the west to a more melodious. pleasant and repetitive "twee-churr-urr-urr" in Cyrenaica. The courtship song sounds like an old fashioned boiling kettle, a long warbling whistle rising in pitch given in duet by both sexes. The alarm and contact calls are typically chat like harsh clicks.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, October, November, December, with peak activity in March. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Red-rumped Wheatear?
- The red-rumped wheatear is a compact, big-headed wheatear with a rufous rump and all dark tail. the male has a grey crown and nape with a black throat and face and white supercilium. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Red-rumped Wheatear?
- The Red-rumped Wheatear is a small sized bird weighing about 30 g.
- Where can you see a Red-rumped Wheatear?
- The Red-rumped Wheatear occurs in 6 countries, including Morocco, Tunisia, Israel, Algeria and Jordan.
- What birds look similar to a Red-rumped Wheatear?
- The Red-rumped Wheatear is most easily confused with the Abyssinian Wheatear, the Arabian Wheatear and the Buff-breasted Wheatear.
- Is the Red-rumped Wheatear endangered?
- The Red-rumped Wheatear is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Red-rumped Wheatear for real
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