Photo: Charles J. Sharp / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Eastern Black-eared Wheatear
Oenanthe melanoleuca
Eastern Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe melanoleuca) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 17 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Eastern Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe melanoleuca) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 15 g.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Muscicapidae Chats, Old World Flycatchers
- Genus Oenanthe
- Species melanoleuca
Where it lives
South-central, southeastern Europe through the Middle East to Iran and southwestern Kazakhstan
Quick facts
- Weight
- 15 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Vulnerable
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Eastern Black-eared Wheatear is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Eastern Black-eared Wheatear is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Eastern Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe melanoleuca) is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL sc, se Europe through the Middle East to Iran and sw Kazakhstan.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 15 g, with a wing length of about 8.8 cm and a tail of around 5.7 cm.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Eastern Black-eared Wheatear?
The Eastern Black-eared Wheatear is a very small bird that weighs around 15 g.
Where does the Eastern Black-eared Wheatear live?
The Eastern Black-eared Wheatear is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL sc, se Europe through the Middle East to Iran and sw Kazakhstan, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Eastern Black-eared Wheatear belong to?
The Eastern Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe melanoleuca) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Eastern Black-eared Wheatear eat?
The Eastern Black-eared Wheatear is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Eastern Black-eared Wheatear migrate?
The Eastern Black-eared Wheatear is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
What sound does the Eastern Black-eared Wheatear make?
1 real field recording of the Eastern Black-eared Wheatear — including its flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
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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How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
Meet the Muscicapidae
A field guide to the Muscicapidae family — 355 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.