Photo: Jacky Judas / CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Hume’s Wheatear
Oenanthe albonigra
Hume's Wheatear (Oenanthe albonigra) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Hume’s Wheatear (Oenanthe albonigra) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 25.2 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 albonigra
Quick facts
- Weight
- 25.2 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Hume’s Wheatear is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of rocky terrain, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Hume’s Wheatear is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Hume’s Wheatear (Oenanthe albonigra) is a member of the Muscicapidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL Iraq to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Oman.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 25.2 g, with a wing length of about 9.8 cm and a tail of around 6.6 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 1.3 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Hume’s Wheatear?
The Hume’s Wheatear is a small bird that weighs around 25.2 g.
Where does the Hume’s Wheatear live?
The Hume’s Wheatear is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL Iraq to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Oman, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Hume’s Wheatear belong to?
The Hume’s Wheatear (Oenanthe albonigra) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Hume’s Wheatear eat?
The Hume’s Wheatear is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Hume’s Wheatear migrate?
The Hume’s Wheatear is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Hume’s 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 Hume’s Wheatear make?
1 real field recording of the Hume’s 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 Hume’s Wheatear's range?
The Hume’s Wheatear has a mapped global range of about 1.3 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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