About Oenanthe leucopyga (C.L.Brehm, 1855)
This species, Oenanthe leucopyga, is a large wheatear that measures 17 to 18 centimeters in length. It breeds in stony deserts ranging from the Sahara and Arabia across to Iraq. It is mostly non-migratory, but rare vagrant individuals have been recorded as far west as Great Britain in western Europe. It builds its nest in crevices of rocks or walls, and lays between 3 and 5 eggs per clutch. Unlike most wheatear species, which have distinctively different plumages for males and females, adults of both sexes of this species are almost entirely black, with the only exceptions being a white rump and a mainly white tail. Fully mature adult birds have a white crown, which young individuals do not develop. The closely related black wheatear, Oenanthe leucura, also breeds in the western part of the white-crowned wheatear’s range. Black wheatears have a black inverted T-shaped marking on their white tail, while white-crowned wheatears only have a black marking at the center of the tail. Unlike white-crowned wheatears, black wheatears never have a white crown. Oenanthe leucopyga feeds mainly on insects. This wheatear produces a loud song that is more varied than the songs of most of its close relatives, and often includes mimicry of other bird songs.
