Family Old World Flycatchers and Chats (Muscicapidae)
Least Concern
Isabelline Wheatear (Oenanthe isabellina)
Taxonomy
French: Traquet isabelle German: Isabellsteinschmätzer Spanish: Collalba isabel
Taxonomy:
Saxicola isabellina
Temminck
, 1829,Nubia, north Africa
.Sometimes considered conspecific with both O. bottae (including O. frenata) and O. heuglinii. Monotypic.
Distribution:
NE Greece, S Bulgaria, Middle East and S & E Ukraine E to Transbaikalia, Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, NC China and W Pakistan; winters in W Africa E across Sahel to Arabian Peninsula and S Asia (Pakistan and NW India), locally in Middle East.
Descriptive notes
16–17 cm; 21–39 g. Resembles non-breeding O. oenanthe, but slightly larger and paler, larger bill, longer legs (giving more upright stance),... read more
Voice
Song very distinctive, mainly by male (occasionally by female), in flight and on ground in both... read more
Habitat
Arid, open, sparsely vegetated country, including dry plains, mountain and lowland steppes, semi-... read more
Food and feeding
Invertebrates and vegetable matter; mainly insects 2–40 mm in length, and in particular beetles and ants. Animal prey recorded... read more
Breeding
Mid-Apr to mid-Jul in Israel and Apr–May in Jordan; Mar–Jun in Armenia and Baluchistan; sometimes as early as mid-Feb in... read more
Movements
Migratory; winters in Africa (mainly Sahel zone and NE & E Africa), Arabian Peninsula and SW... read more
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Generally common to very common. European population in mid-1990s estimated at 423–1378 pairs, with additional 100,000–1,... read more
Wintering
There is no mention of wintering birds in Tunisia.
See:
Maumary, L. Vallotton, V. Dutoit & Z. Fleury (1998) : Chocard à bec jaune Pyrrhocorax graculus et Traquet isabelle Oenanthe isabellina en Tunisie. Alauda. 66 : 247-250.
Accessible here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292645898_Chocard_a_bec_jaune_P...