| Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe lugens (aka Maghreb Wheatear Oenanthe lugens halophila) |
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Boumalne du Dades, Morocco April 2014 The Mourning Wheatear is distributed from northern Africa through the Middle East to Iran with disjunct populations in the Horn of Africa, Kenya and Tanzania. See the distribution map at Birdlife International. The sub-species O. l. halophila, also known as the Maghreb Wheatear, is distributed in northern Africa from Morocco to the River Nile. |
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There are a variety of plumage differences among the 8 sub-species including an almost all-black morph with white vent. Most sub-species have a rusty-buff vent although this is lacking or very pale in the Maghreb Wheatear. The tail pattern is a distinctive inverted "T" and the wings show a pale panel. The female of the sub-species, seen here in photo 3, has a greyish-brown cap and mantle and a paler mask. | |||
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It is found on rocky slopes in desert country where it feeds mainly on insects. | |||
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The song is a loud, sweet warble. | |||
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