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Birds

Birding Málaga

Birds

Common name Black wheatear
Scientific name Oenanthe leucura
Type Cliff-nesting birds
Status Resident

Medium-sized bird (about 18 cm or 7 in) with completely black plumage except for the rump (or tailbone, part of the back before the tail) and the base of the tail, which is white. The tail shows a characteristic black inverted T. The females have dark brown plumage. In flight the white tail on the rest of the dark body stands out.

Habitats

Rocky environments

Where it lives

Rupicolous species typical of arid zones and with scarce vegetation, such as pits and rocky walls, ravines, rocky pastures and screes.

How it lives

Species resident throughout the year in the province. It breeds between December and February, building a nest in hollows of rocky walls, and makes two annual layings of 2 to 6 eggs. This bird feeds on insects that it catches on the ground. It likes to perch in prominent places, where it is often noted for the contrast between the rock and the black colour of its plumage.

Where it can be seen in Malaga

It is present in many stages of the Great Path, especially in those with rupicolous habitat. It can be watched, for example, in stages 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 20, 21, 23, 24, 28, 31, 32, 33 and 34.

Curious facts

The Black Wheatear is a bird whose global distribution is limited to North Africa and south of the Iberian Peninsula. It is a common bird in the majority of the mountain ranges in Malaga.

Routes where it can be observed
Present
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Wintering Summer Resident Migration
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Web de la Sociedad Española de Ornitología (SEO)
Audios
Black Wheatear

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