Finsch's Wheatear Oenanthe finschii Scientific name definitions

14 cm; 22–32 g. Rather stocky and large-headed. Breeding male nominate race is white from crown (sometimes stained buff-grey ) to tail, latter with black central feathers and relatively narrow black terminal band (with white tips when fresh); black face and throat connecting to black wings , flight-feathers with silvery-grey inner webs (distinctive in flight); underparts white; bill and legs black. Non-breeding male similar, but crown to back tipped greyish-yellow, wings edged buff, throat hoary and underparts tinged buff. Breeding female resembles non-breeding male, looking grizzled around face and chin, with pale brownish-grey from crown to back. Non-breeding female brownish-grey on crown to back, either with relatively pale grey-brown on wing and extending to throat and breast, with buffy-tinged ear-coverts, whitish submoustachial and throat streaks, whitish belly to vent, or with blackish wing, blackish face and throat with whitish submoustachial and throat-streaks, whitish underparts (differences perhaps age-related). Juvenile is like pale-throated non-breeding female, but with broader buff fringes on wings ; first-year male may have lower back black (unlike O. lugens, black not extending to mantle). Race <em>barnesi</em> is longer-winged and larger-billed than nominate, in fresh plumage male has head stained sandy-yellow and deeper cream-buff vent, female buffier above (in worn plumage in spring, both sexes identical to nominate).

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Song , by both sexes (mostly by male, often in descending zigzag display-flight), a series of phrases recalling a Galerida lark, each consisting of highly varied mix of clear whistles, rich warbling (including “ctsi-tsi-tsi-tseeooee”) and scratchy, grating sounds, and (relatively rarely) mimicry; when delivered in flight becomes longer and less structured, described as a high squeaky “zee-widdy-widdy-widdy-widdy-tweee”. Subsong given in winter, a subdued rambling version of full song, resembling that of Erithacus rubecula. Calls include “chack” or “zek” in mild agitation, a descending “seep” in alarm, commonly combined as “seep chek seep chek chek”, etc.