Photo: Dr. Raju Kasambe / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Variable Wheatear
Oenanthe picata
Variable Wheatear (Oenanthe picata) — 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 Variable Wheatear (Oenanthe picata) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 21.6 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 picata
Where it lives
Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan to southern Iran and southern Pakistan
Quick facts
- Weight
- 21.6 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Variable Wheatear is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of arid, desert country, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Variable Wheatear is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Variable Wheatear (Oenanthe picata) 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 Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan to s Iran and s Pakistan.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 21.6 g, with a wing length of about 9 cm and a tail of around 6.5 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 1.1 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Variable Wheatear?
The Variable Wheatear is a small bird that weighs around 21.6 g.
Where does the Variable Wheatear live?
The Variable Wheatear is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan to s Iran and s Pakistan, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Variable Wheatear belong to?
The Variable Wheatear (Oenanthe picata) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Variable Wheatear eat?
The Variable Wheatear is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Variable Wheatear migrate?
The Variable Wheatear is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Variable 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 Variable Wheatear make?
1 real field recording of the Variable 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 Variable Wheatear's range?
The Variable Wheatear has a mapped global range of about 1.1 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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