wheatear

any small northern songbird of the genus Oenanthe, esp O. oenanthe, a species having a pale grey back, black wings and tail, white rump, and pale brown underparts: subfamily Turdinae (thrushes)

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Wheatear

any bird of the genus Oenanthe, family Turdidae (thrushes). Its size is that of a sparrow to that of a starling. It has a thin beak that is broad at the base and strong, long legs.

Wheatears are found in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America. They inhabit open places in plains or mountains. They move along the ground by hopping. Their nests are built in ravines, rock streams, crevices in cliffs, buildings, and old rodent burrows. Wheatears are insectivorous migratory birds. A clutch contains four to eight light blue eggs. In the USSR there are seven species. The common wheatear (O. oenanthe) is found almost everywhere throughout the country. The desert wheatear (O. deserti), black-eared wheatear (O. hispánica), Isabelline wheatear (O. isabellina), Indian pied wheatear (O. picata), (O. finschii), and red-rumped wheatear (O. xanthoprymna) are found in the southern part of the European USSR (including the Caucasus), Kazakhstan, Middle Asia, and Southern Siberia.

A. S. MAL’CHEVSKII

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References in periodicals archive

We studied breeding Northern Wheatears at Iqaluit, Baffin Island, Nunavut, over six summers (2007 to 2012) during the following periods: 25 June-14 July 2007; 25 June-27 July 2008; 16 June-8 August 2009; 18 June-12 August 2010; 24 June-14 August 2011; and 20 June-23 July 2012.

As far as we are aware, these are the first confirmed records of double brooding in Arctic populations of Northern Wheatears or in any other Arctic-breeding passerines, with the possible exception of rare and geographically marginal cases in the Common Redpoll.

To lengthen the breeding season, Northern Wheatears must either start earlier or continue later.

Although much remains to be learned about the demography of Arctic-breeding passerines, it is reasonable to hypothesize that survival, both of adults between breeding seasons and of young from fledge to first breeding, is lower for Northern Wheatears from the eastern North American breeding population than for other Arctic-breeding passerines whose migrations are less demanding.

Observations providing evidence of double brooding by Northern Wheatears at Iqaluit.

Double brooding by the Northern Wheatear on Baffin Island

Kittiwake B + - Ross's Gull - - - Sabine's Gull B + - Ivory Gull + - - Arctic Tern B B - Dovekie - - - Thick-billed Murre B + B (6) Black Guillemot B + - Atlantic Puffin - + - Snowy Owl B B - Horned Lark B B - Tree Swallow - - - Barn Swallow - - - Common Raven + + - Northern Wheatear - B + (8) American Pipit B B - Yellow Warbler - - - Northern

Atlantic Puffin - + + Snowy Owl B B + Horned Lark B B B Tree Swallow - - - Barn Swallow - - - Common Raven B B B Northern Wheatear B B + American Pipit B B B?

Kittiwake B - Ross's Gull - - Sabine's Gull - - Ivory Gull + - Arctic Tern + B Dovekie + - Thick-billed Murre B - Black Guillemot B - Atlantic Puffin - - Snowy Owl - - Horned Lark - B Tree Swallow - - Barn Swallow - - Common Raven + - Northern Wheatear - - American Pipit - B Yellow Warbler - - Northern

Kittiwake + Ross's Gull - Sabine's Gull - Ivory Gull - Arctic Tern + Dovekie - Thick-billed Murre - Black Guillemot + Atlantic Puffin - Snowy Owl - Horned Lark + Tree Swallow - Barn Swallow - Common Raven + Northern Wheatear - American Pipit + Yellow Warbler - Northern

Kittiwake B + Ross's Gull + - Sabine's Gull + + Ivory Gull + - Arctic Tern B B Dovekie - - Thick-billed Murre B - Black Guillemot B - Atlantic Puffin + - Snowy Owl B B Horned Lark B B Tree Swallow + + Barn Swallow + - Common Raven + + Northern Wheatear B B American Pipit B B Yellow Warbler - - Northern

Birds of Bylot Island and adjacent Baffin Island, Northwest Territories, Canada, 1979 to 1997