Photo: Artemy Voikhansky / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Mourning Wheatear
Oenanthe lugens
Mourning Wheatear (Oenanthe lugens) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Europe & Northern Asia.
The Mourning Wheatear (Oenanthe lugens) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in Africa and Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 22.4 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 lugens
Where it lives
Northern Africa from Morocco to eastern Egypt through Arabian Pen. to Iran
Quick facts
- Weight
- 22.4 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Mourning 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 Mourning Wheatear is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Mourning Wheatear (Oenanthe lugens) is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Africa and Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL, AF n Africa from Morocco to e Egypt through Arabian Pen. to Iran.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 22.4 g, with a wing length of about 9.1 cm and a tail of around 6.1 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 2.3 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Mourning Wheatear?
The Mourning Wheatear is a small bird that weighs around 22.4 g.
Where does the Mourning Wheatear live?
The Mourning Wheatear is found across Africa and Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL, AF n Africa from Morocco to e Egypt through Arabian Pen. to Iran, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Mourning Wheatear belong to?
The Mourning Wheatear (Oenanthe lugens) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Mourning Wheatear eat?
The Mourning Wheatear is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Mourning Wheatear migrate?
The Mourning Wheatear is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Mourning 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 Mourning Wheatear make?
1 real field recording of the Mourning 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 Mourning Wheatear's range?
The Mourning Wheatear has a mapped global range of about 2.3 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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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.
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A field guide to the Muscicapidae family — 355 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.