Finschs Wheatear ( Oenanthe finschii) Βουνοπετροκλής Agios Sozomenos 2, 11, 2019 Cyprus

Finsch s wheatear (Oenanthe finschii) is a wheatear, a small insectivorous passerine 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. This 1516 cm long bird breeds in semidesert and stony hillsides from Turkey east to Afghanistan and western Pakistan. It is a shortdistance migrant, wintering in Egypt and the Greater Middle East. It wanders to Cyprus with some frequency. The nest is built in a rock crevice, and 45 eggs is the normal clutch. In summer the male Finsch s wheatear is a white and black bird. The white crown, central back and belly contrast with the black face, throat and wings. The tail and rump are white, with an inverted black T giving a pattern like blackeared wheatear, but with a uniformly wide terminal band. The female is browngrey above, becoming dirty white below. The tail pattern is similar to the male s. Finsch s wheatear feeds mainly on insects. Its call