Family Focus - The Wheatears of Eilat

Oenanthe

Residing in the Chat subfamily, within the Thrush superfamily, Wheatears Oenanthe are represented by 21-23 species depending on which taxonomical system you follow. Many of these are present in the Western Palaearctic and 15 have been recorded in Israel. It's a real wheatear hotspot and one of the families I was most interested to experience as identification is not always straightforward.

Stocky chats with strong legs and an upright posture, wheatears are all variations on a contrasting black, white and sandy colour scheme. Usually not hard to find, they favour exposed rocks and fence posts and are therefore fairly easy to pick out in the arid habitats they prefer.

I managed to observe at least 9 species (probably 10 but could not confirm) in Israel, mostly in the desert habitats of the Southern Aravah near Eilat.

1. Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe was the only species I was familiar with from the UK and proved the most common, seen throughout September-November.

Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe. Yotvata, October 2015.

2. Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe lugens breed in Southern Israel in mountainous areas before moving down into the arid plains in winter. The rusty under-tail coverts and white-centered remiges are diagnostic. We saw a handful in the Eilat Mountains during September and many more lower down in November.
 

Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe lugens. Eilat Mountains, November 2015.

3. Hooded Wheatear Oenanthe monacha are an uncommon resident in Southern Israel. Their attenuated shape and method of sallying to catch insects on the wing like a bee-eater are distinctive.

Hooded Wheatear Oenanthe lugens. Yotvata, October 2015.

4. Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti are also resident in the South. We started seeing them in late September and by mid October they were common at sites such as Yotvata. Numbers then dropped in November.

Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti. Yotvata, October 2015

5. Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe hispanica one of only two wheatears ringed at the IBRCE this Autumn, this adult male was captured in early September. Seen throughout September to mid-October.

Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe hispanica. IBRCE, September 2015.

6. Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina were common throughout all habitats right through the season. Unfortunately my only decent photo is this bird having its tail photographed after ringing at the IBRCE in early September.

Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina. IBRCE, September 2015. 

7. White-crowned Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga. A large, bulky, tame species that inhabits dry wadis in mountainous areas. Resident through all but the longest droughts, these birds are true desert survivors. Commonly found in suitable habitat, they became my personal favourite wheatear.

White-crowned Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga. Ramon Crater, September 2015.

8. Finsch's Wheatear Oenanthe finschii. A winter visitor to Northern Israel, this species takes over the recently abandoned summer territories of Black-eared Wheatears. They also breed in small numbers high on Mt. Hermon. I saw one briefly in the hills between Beit She'an and Jerusalem.

9. Blackstart Cercomela melanura. Although not a true Wheatear, these inquisitive, tame birds fill a similar niche and are common where there is some amount of vegetation. They have a habit of flicking their pure black tail down and spreading it at the same time and absolutely hate recorded calls being played!

Blackstart Cercomela melanura. The Dead Sea, November 2015. 

I did also observe a flyover wheatear at the saltpans in Eilat which looked very much like an adult male Pied Wheatear Oenanthe pleshanka but could not confirm the identification.

I am very pleased to have managed to see these 9 species in their natural environment (not on a blustery Autumn day on the East coast of the UK as is the trend with Desert Wheatears in recent years!).