Photo: El Golli Mohamed / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
White-crowned Wheatear
Oenanthe leucopyga
White-crowned Wheatear (Oenanthe leucopyga) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 13 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The White-crowned Wheatear (Oenanthe leucopyga) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in Africa and Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 27.9 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 leucopyga
Quick facts
- Weight
- 27.9 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The White-crowned 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 White-crowned Wheatear is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The White-crowned Wheatear (Oenanthe leucopyga) belongs to the Muscicapidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Africa and Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers AF, PAL n Africa to n, c Arabian Pen.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 27.9 g, with a wing length of about 10.1 cm and a tail of around 7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 5.4 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the White-crowned Wheatear?
The White-crowned Wheatear is a small bird that weighs around 27.9 g.
Where does the White-crowned Wheatear live?
The White-crowned Wheatear is found across Africa and Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering AF, PAL n Africa to n, c Arabian Pen, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the White-crowned Wheatear belong to?
The White-crowned Wheatear (Oenanthe leucopyga) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the White-crowned Wheatear eat?
The White-crowned Wheatear is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the White-crowned Wheatear migrate?
The White-crowned Wheatear is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the White-crowned 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 White-crowned Wheatear make?
1 real field recording of the White-crowned 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 White-crowned Wheatear's range?
The White-crowned Wheatear has a mapped global range of about 5.4 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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