Photo: El Golli Mohamed / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Desert Wheatear
Oenanthe deserti
Desert Wheatear (Oenanthe deserti) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Desert Wheatear (Oenanthe deserti) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 19.8 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Muscicapidae Chats, Old World Flycatchers
- Genus Oenanthe
- Species deserti
Quick facts
- Weight
- 19.8 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Desert Wheatear is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Desert Wheatear is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Desert Wheatear (Oenanthe deserti) is a member of the Muscicapidae family, within the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL sc, c, also n Africa.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 19.8 g, with a wing length of about 9.3 cm and a tail of around 6.4 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 7.7 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Desert Wheatear?
The Desert Wheatear is a small bird that weighs around 19.8 g.
Where does the Desert Wheatear live?
The Desert Wheatear is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL sc, c, also n Africa, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Desert Wheatear belong to?
The Desert Wheatear (Oenanthe deserti) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Desert Wheatear eat?
The Desert Wheatear is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Desert Wheatear migrate?
The Desert Wheatear is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Desert Wheatear endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Desert Wheatear make?
1 real field recording of the Desert Wheatear — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Desert Wheatear's range?
The Desert Wheatear has a mapped global range of about 7.7 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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Meet the Muscicapidae
A field guide to the Muscicapidae family — 355 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.