NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Wheatear

The wheatears, genus Oenanthe, were formerly considered to be members of the thrush family Turdidae. They are more commonly now placed in the flycatcher family Muscicapidae. This is an Old World group, but the Northern Wheatear has established a foothold in eastern Canada and Greenland. Their name was originally 'whitearse', but this was considered offensive by the Victorians, and was changed to the more polite 'wheatear'. Cf. similar changes, like the alteration of 'cock' into 'rooster', and 'cockroach' into 'roach'. See genus (mathematics) for the use of the term in mathematics. ... Genera 22 genera, see text The Thrushes, family Turdidae, are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly but not exclusively in the Old World. ... Genera many:see text The Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae is a large family of small passerine birds restricted to the Old World. ... Binomial name Oenanthe oenanthe (Linnaeus, 1758) The Northern Wheatear or Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae. ...

They are terrestrial insectivorous passerine birds of open, often dry, country . They often nest in rock crevices or disused burrows. Families Many, see text A passerine is a bird of the giant order Passeriformes. ... Orders Many - see section below. ...

Northern species are long-distance migrants, wintering in Africa. Long-distance land bird migration Many species of land birds migrate very long distances, the most common pattern being for birds to breed in the temperate or arctic northern hemisphere and winter in warmer regions, often in the tropics or the southern hemisphere. ... Africa is the worlds second-largest continent in both area and population, after Asia. ...

Wheatears are typically larger than the European Robin. Most species have characteristic black and white or red and white markings on their rumps or their long tails. Binomial name Erithacus rubecula (Linnaeus, 1758) The European Robin (Erithacus rubecula) is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family, but is now considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae. ...

Most species are strongly sexually dimorphic; only the male has the striking plumage patterns characteristic of the genus, though the females share the white or red rump patches. Female (left) and male Common Pheasant, illustrating the large degree of sexual dimorphism between the sexes Sexual dimorphism is the systematic difference in form between individuals of different sex in the same species. ...

Categories: Muscicapidae Binomial name Oenanthe oenanthe (Linnaeus, 1758) The Northern Wheatear or Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae. ... Binomial name Oenanthe isabellina (Temminck, 1829) The Isabelline Wheatear, Oenanthe isabellina, is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae. ... Binomial name Oenanthe deserti (Temminck, 1829) The Desert Wheatear (Oenanthe deserti) is a wheatear, a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae. ... Binomial name Oenanthe hispanica (Linnaeus, 1758) The Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica) is a wheatear, a small migratory passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae. ... Binomial name Oenanthe pleschanka (Lepechin, 1770) The Pied Wheatear, Oenanthe pleschanka, 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, Muscicapidae. ... Binomial name Oenanthe cypriaca (Homeyer, 1884) The Cyprus Wheatear or Cyprus Pied Wheatear ( Oenanthe cypriaca) is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae. ... Binomial name Oenanthe finschii (Heuglin, 1869) The Finschs Wheatear, Oenanthe finschii , 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, Muscicapidae. ... Binomial name Oenanthe monacha (Temminck, 1825) The Hooded Wheatear, Oenanthe monacha, 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, Muscicapidae. ... Binomial name Oenanthe leucopyga (Brehm, 1855) The White-crowned Wheatear, or White-crowned Black Wheatear, Oenanthe leucopyga, is a wheatear, a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae. ... Binomial name Oenanthe leucura (Gmelin, 1789) The Black Wheatear, Oenanthe leucura, is a wheatear, a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae. ...