Northern Wheatear

Northern Wheatear (Male)
Northern Wheatear (Male)
Northern Wheatear (Female)
Northern Wheatear (Male)
Recordings 
Scientific Name 
Oenanthe oenanthe
Arabic Name 
أبو بليق
Kuwaiti name 
امخضرم
Family 
Chats - Old World Flycatchers
Length 
15.0 cm
Least Concern
Similar species 
Isabelline Wheatear

In Kuwait

Migrant
Frequent
Non-breeder

Information

Common passage migrant. A long-distance migrant passing in large numbers. Seen in many types of habitats, including open terrain near Kuwait city. Up to 50 seen together between Kuwait City and Jahra in mid March 2000.
Where in Kuwait 
It uses a variety of open habitats whilst migrating, including cultivated areas and desert, farmlands as well as human settlements.
In the world 
It has an extremely large range and in Europe, trends since 1980 show that populations have undergone a moderate decline. A migratory species which breeds across northern Europe, North Africa, Asia, Alaska, north-eastern Canada and Greenland. After the breeding season, it migrates to sub-Saharan Africa. It is possible that this species is the only regularly breeding passerine of North America that migrates to wintering grounds in sub-Saharan Africa, crossing either the Atlantic Ocean or Eurasia.
Local threats 
Habitat loss due to agriculture and urbanisation