Photo: Zeynel Cebeci / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Kurdish Wheatear
Oenanthe xanthoprymna
Kurdish Wheatear (Oenanthe xanthoprymna) — 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 Kurdish Wheatear (Oenanthe xanthoprymna) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 22.7 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 xanthoprymna
Where it lives
Eastern Turkey, western Iran and far northwestern, northeastern Iraq
Quick facts
- Weight
- 22.7 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 Kurdish 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 Kurdish Wheatear is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Kurdish Wheatear (Oenanthe xanthoprymna) is a member of the Muscicapidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It is found across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL e Turkey, w Iran and far nw, ne Iraq.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 22.7 g, with a wing length of about 9 cm and a tail of around 5.8 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 103,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Kurdish Wheatear?
The Kurdish Wheatear is a small bird that weighs around 22.7 g.
Where does the Kurdish Wheatear live?
The Kurdish Wheatear is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL e Turkey, w Iran and far nw, ne Iraq, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Kurdish Wheatear belong to?
The Kurdish Wheatear (Oenanthe xanthoprymna) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Kurdish Wheatear eat?
The Kurdish Wheatear is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Kurdish Wheatear migrate?
The Kurdish Wheatear is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Kurdish 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 Kurdish Wheatear make?
1 real field recording of the Kurdish Wheatear — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Kurdish Wheatear's range?
The Kurdish Wheatear has a mapped global range of about 103,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Muscicapidae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
More in Songbirds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Extinct
Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
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.