Black Wheatear

Oenanthe leucura (Gmelin, JF, 1789)

Muscicapidae — Chats, Old World Flycatchers

Black Wheatear, Oenanthe leucura, breeds in south-western Europe and north Africa, with its range centred on the Iberian Peninsula and western North Africa. It is a wheatear in the Muscicapidae family and a passerine. It nests on cliffs and rocky slopes, placing its nest in rock crevices and laying 3–6 eggs. The species is largely resident. It is identified by the male’s black plumage with a white rump and mostly white tail, while the female is dark brown. Its song is loud and thrush-like. The tail shows a black inverted T, and the bird never has a white crown.

Order
Passeriformes
Family
Muscicapidae — Chats, Old World Flycatchers
Breeding range
Palearctic: sw, also n Africa
Black Wheatear
© Len Worthington · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

Tours where you can spot this bird

9 tours in Spain 4, Tunisia 3, Morocco 2

Tunisia Spring Desert and Migration Birding Tour
Tunisia Spring Desert and Migration Birding Tour
Tunisia / Djerba Private tour 7 days

Follow a seven-day spring route from southern desert and Djerba wetlands to cork oak forest, combining North African specialties with early ...

Next: Mar 25, 2027
Tunisia Sunny Winter Desert and Djerba Birding Tour
Tunisia Sunny Winter Desert and Djerba Birding Tour
Tunisia / Djerba Private tour 6 days

Cross southern Tunisia over six winter days, beginning with Djerba’s tidal birdlife before moving through sandy desert, rocky country and ...

Next: Jan 10, 2027
Private Custom Catalonia Birding Experience
Private Custom Catalonia Birding Experience
Spain Custom tour

A private, tailor-made Catalonia birding experience with an ornithologist guide, shaped around season, habitats and your target species....

Grazalema and Ronda Mountains Private Birding Day Trip
Grazalema and Ronda Mountains Private Birding Day Trip
Spain / Ronda Private tour 9h

A private mountain birding day in Grazalema and Ronda for vultures, eagles and rocky-country birds....

From EUR 345
Private Two-Day Merzouga and Erg Chebbi Birdwatching
Private Two-Day Merzouga and Erg Chebbi Birdwatching
Morocco / Merzouga Private tour 2 days

Use two private days by 4x4 to explore Merzouga and deeper Erg Chebbi habitats, with sunrise starts, picnic breaks and flexible target searc...

Private Full-Day Merzouga Desert Birdwatching
Private Full-Day Merzouga Desert Birdwatching
Morocco / Merzouga Private tour 1 day

Start before sunrise for a private full day by 4x4 through Merzouga’s seasonal water, dunes, wadis, fields and desert plains....

One-Day Tunis Wetlands, Grasslands and Zaghouan Birding Trip
One-Day Tunis Wetlands, Grasslands and Zaghouan Birding Trip
Tunisia / Tunis Private tour 1 day

Use a private day from Tunis to combine wetlands, grasslands, open country and Zaghouan’s mountain-edge landscape, with stops chosen for t...

Private Valencia Bird Photography Hide Day Trip
Private Valencia Bird Photography Hide Day Trip
Spain / Valencia Private tour 1 day

A private photography day using specialist hides near Valencia, selected for the season, target bird and preferred session style....

From EUR 160
Private Three-Day Xativa Mountains Steppe and Wetlands Birding Break
Private Three-Day Xativa Mountains Steppe and Wetlands Birding Break
Spain / Xativa Private tour 3 days

A three-day private circuit from Xativa through inland mountains, cereal plains and the wetlands of Alicante....