Appearance:

Very similar to Balearic Warbler but breeding range does not overlap. Also easily confused with sympatric Dartford Warbler due to similar build with long tail, high crown, short wings and spiky bill. Told from latter by all over lead-grey plumage, lacking vinous underparts. Female similar to male but lacks dark lore and throat is paler . Immature birds are very similar to immature Dartford Warbler and are best identified by call, but have less brown back, paler throat and dirtier and greyer underparts.

Sound:

Song hurried and similar to both Sardinian, Dartford and Spectacled Warbler, but is softer with more tinny timbre. Interwoven soft rolling "trrrrtrrr" usually become more prominent towards the end of each phrase which often is concluded by 3-4 clear whistling "wit". Alarm call a short, Stonechat-like and grating "treck", very different from both Balearic and Dartford Warbler.

Alarm call and song:

Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

CC

CC-photo:Wouter Van Gasse, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Wouter Van Gasse, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Kasper Hendriks, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Roland Wantia, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

Epitome of wheatears. Male with grey back, white supercilium, black mask and dark wings. Females have less contrast, are more brownish than grey, the supercilium is fainter and the black mask is missing. Rump white and tail white with black "T" in all plumages. The black in the middle tail-feathers is always at least as long as the width of the black terminal tail-band. Pale individuals can be mistaken for Isabelline Wheatear, but note that the supercilium is buff between eye and base of bill.

Sound:

Contact and alarm call a high pitched, sharp "weet", followed by a hard "check", like hitting two rocks together. The "weet" sound is much sharper than the similar sound in Whinchat and Stonechat. Wheater usually repeats the "weet" sound more frequently than the "check" sound. The "check" of Stonechat is less pure and more gritty. The Wheatear song consists of short phrases with marked pauses. Each phrase is often introduced by the "weet" sound, then followed by hastened, creaking, rattling and warbling sounds of 1-2 seconds duration. The "check" sound is also often included in the song.

Song:

Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC