Cyprus Wheatear

This migratory insectivorous species was formerly considered a race of Pied Wheatear. It breeds only in Cyprus, and winters in southern Sudan and Ethiopia.

The Cyprus Wheatear is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

The Cyprus Wheatear or Cyprus Pied Wheatear (Oenanthe cypriaca) is a small, 14-15 cm long 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. It was formerly treated as a subspecies of Pied Wheatear but Sluys and van den Berg (1982) argued that the form deserved full species status, on the basis of differences in biometrics and especially song, and the lack of sexual plumage dimorphism in cypriaca. More

* Cyprus Wheatear A bird on a branch. Kato Akourdaleia, Paphos District, Cyprus (Monotypic species) Cieronymidou 20 March 2009 46 weeks ago 2. More

My only targets were Cyprus Wheatear, Black Francolin and Demoiselle Crane. The first was easy with several birds every day. The second proved a bit more difficult and in the end I only had one sighting with two birds. The latter was my frustrating dip with over 140 birds seen about two weeks before my arrival and a few seen by Danish birders the very day that I tried to find them at Akrotiri. More

Mountains I saw an Adult Cyprus Wheatear then two juveniles came very close to me it was a wonderful sight this was my first it had distinctly short wings when compared to Pied Wheatear. The song of the Crested Lark that I have encountered with my first Cyprus Pied Wheatear was repeatedly heard and its song very different from the birds in Kuwait. More

Wheatear in my listings - not Cyprus Wheatear as it is probably meant to be. The Pied Wheatear Oenanthe pleschanka above is scanned from Heinzel, Fitter and Parslow 'The Birds of Britain and Europe', 1972. Looks like we have got a match! The Cyprus Wheatear is not mentioned in this field guide - probably not split from Pied at that time. We could then identify the logo Wheatear as Pied or even Cyprus if we allow for a split not yet taken place by these authors. More

Cyprus Wheatear - and the appeal of spring birdwatching on beautiful Aphrodites Isle is irresistible! download a report of one of our previous trips to this area More