Black wheatear

    Oenanthe leucura

Castilian: Collalba negra

Catalan: Còlit negre

Gallego: Pedreiro negro

Euskera: Buztanzuri beltza

CLASIFICACIÓN:

Orden: Passeriformes

Family: Turdidae

Migratory status: Permanent resident

CONSERVATION STATUS:

On the National List of Threatened Species, it appears in the “Of Special Interest” category. In the 2004 edition of the Red Book of Spanish Birds (Libro Rojo de las Aves de España) it is listed as “Least Concern”.

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THREATS

Although it is not a threatened species, it is affected by some local problems, such as the creation of new irrigation systems, depredation and the repopulation of forests.

Length / size: 18 cm / 26-29 cm

Identification: Small bird that is unmistakeable due to its colouration. Its plumage is black (dark brown in females) and contrasts with its white rump and tail base. Its tail has the characteristic inverted black "T" at the tip.

Song: Its call is a "pee-pee-pee-chak", similar to that of other wheatears. Its song is melodic and consists of a long and soft warble.

Diet: Its diet includes consumption of insects (beetles, ants…) that it catches on the ground.

Reproduction: The mating period begins in December. It builds a bowl-shaped nest using grass and roots and covering it with feathers and hair; the nest is placed in hollows in rocky walls, and is protected by a small palisade that the male carries prior to that. The female is responsible for incubation but both parents feed the chicks.

HABITAT

It is a typical species in arid environments where there is scarce vegetation and the presence of rocky ledges or walls, such as ravines, river and coastal chasms, dry riverbeds, steppe areas, etc. It is present from sea level up to an altitude of 1,800 metres in Sierra Nevada.

DISTRIBUTION

In Spain: It is widely distributed throughout the Levante region and the southeast part of the peninsula, and scattered throughout the rest of the peninsula.

In Castile and León: Its distribution is very localised, with the largest concentrations found in Arribes del Duero, Hoces del Duratón y Riaza (Segovia), El Tiemblo, Sierra de Gredos and Valle Amblés (Ávila), and Cañón del Río Lobos.

Movements and migrations: It is a sedentary species, but northern populations make small migrations to areas that are further south.

POPULATION

In Spain: There is an estimated population of 4000-15000 breeding pairs (1994 data).

In Castile and León: There is an estimated population of less than 350 breeding pairs.