Birds · Passeriformes · Muscicapidae

Isabelline Wheatear

Oenanthe isabellina

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The isabelline wheatear is the largest and palest of the Palaearctic wheatears, a uniform sandy beige with almost no contrast. It breeds on the arid steppes of Central Asia, Turkey and Iran, and winters in the Sahel and Arabia. It nests in the abandoned burrows of rodents, gerbils and ground squirrels, a habit that sets it apart from its relatives.

Weight

22 g – 38 g

Size

15 cm – 17 cm

Lifespan

8 years

Diet

Insectivore

Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

DesertGrasslandInsectivore Diurnal In pairs Bird Desert Grassland

26countries 16parks14same family

Fun facts

It nests underground in the abandoned burrows of gerbils and ground squirrels, sometimes more than a metre deep, and depends on those rodents in order to breed on the bare steppe.
Its name refers to the colour isabelline, a pale beige which, according to an apocryphal legend, comes from a vow by Isabella of Castile not to change her shift until Granada was taken.
It is among the hardest wheatears to identify precisely because of its lack of features: uniformly sandy, without contrast, and telling it from other species demands attention to proportions and posture.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Arid steppe, semi-desert and stony plains of Central Asia and the Near East
Sexual maturity: 12 months
Gestation / incubation: 13 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 5 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oenanthe_isabellina