Mountain wheatear
| Mountain wheatear | |
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| File:Oenanthe monticola, manlik, a, naby Tierpoort, Pta.jpg | |
| ♂, nominate race | |
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| ♂, western race O. m. atmorii | |
| Scientific classification | |
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| Species: |
O. monticola
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| Binomial name | |
| Oenanthe monticola Vieillot, 1818
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| File:Mountain Wheatear.png | |
| Distribution of the mountain wheatear | |
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The mountain wheatear or mountain chat (Oenanthe monticola) is a small insectivorous passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae.
This non-migratory wheatear is resident in mountainous and rocky habitats in Namibia, Botswana, South Africa and southernmost Angola.
Mountain wheatear is 18–20 cm long, and like other wheatears, it has a distinctive tail pattern, with a white rump and outer tail feathers. Its legs and pointed bill are black.
The male is very variable in plumage, although the tail pattern and a white shoulder patch are always present. A white and black bird. The body plumage varies from pale grey to almost black, and it may or may not have a white crown to the head. The female is entirely dark brown apart from the white rump and outer tail.
The mountain wheatear's song is a clear melodic whistle interspersed with harsh chatters. It is monogamous and nests on the ground amongst rocks, laying 2-4 white eggs. It eats insects and berries.
References
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- Ian Sinclair, Phil Hockey and Warwick Tarboton, SASOL Birds of Southern Africa (Struik 2002) ISBN 1-86872-721-1
External links
- Mountain chat - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds.
