HANDBOOK OF WESTERN PALEARCTIC BIRDS WHEATEARS Wheatear, but no detailed study available. The song is short but persistently repeated for long periods, rather softly PERSIAN WHEATEAR warbling or trilling, a little lark-like. It can also recall a distant Robin or Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin, or even a Blackstart, Oenanthe chrysopygia (De Filippi, 1863) with variable slow or rapid twittering or trilling phrases and clear notes, and may utter hoarse, rasping sounds in the Alternative name: Red-tailed Wheatear Zagros Mountains, and it winters in E Arabia and strophes or between them; usually lacks mimicry. – Calls east to NW India. include a low grating grat-grat, a dull, muffled, zrrp-zrrp, Fr. – Traquet de Perse; Ger. – Kaukasussteinschmätzer further a rasping chairz in alarm and constant chacking Sp. – Collalba afgana; Swe. – Persisk stenskvätta notes, tchek tchek tchek…, and this may be repeated in a Also known as Rufous-tailed Wheatear and often fast series as a rattling snore thrrr. regarded as conspecific with Kurdish Wheatear, SIMILAR SPECIES Slightly different from Kurdish although chrysopygia merits specific status Wheatear: both sexes largely pale uniform brown-grey based on its distinctive plumage and on recent above and dirty buffish-white below and on underwing, and both have dark eye-stripe. Lacks dark throat and under- genetic evidence that it is apparently more closely wing-coverts of Kurdish, and especially aa tend to have related to Mourning and Finsch’s Wheatears than characteristic pale greyish neck-sides (often continuing to Kurdish. There is a limited hybridisation zone onto crown) and extensive cinnamon rear flanks and lower between Persian and Kurdish but no evidence belly. Black tail-band of Persian averages slightly narrower of intergradation. Persian Wheatear is a summer in all plumages, and at all ages has rufous tail-bases. Some young Kurdish Wheatears (both sexes), however, may o, dark-throated variant, presumed ad, Israel, Jan: dark-throated oo rather scarce and poorly o, dark-throated morph, presumed ad, Cyprus, Nov: dark throat largely obscured by pale tips. visitor to Iran and eastern Transcaucasia east to possess rusty tail-base, too, and others with rusty tail-base known. Throat darkens with wear, especially from winter, albeit never becoming as solid or intense Ageing difficult, but quite substantial white tail corners suggest ad, as do fresh primary tips. Afghanistan and Tajikistan, south to the Iranian black as a. Such oo are still paler above. Blackish-centred primary-coverts and broad rufous-buff (A. McArthur) may be hybrids (‘cummingi’). Thus, other features acquire tips to greater coverts suggest ad. (H. Shirihai) importance, e.g. face pattern (especially dark eye-stripe) and the relatively narrower black tail-band with rufous tip IDENTIFICATION Sexes virtually alike and generally very (when fresh). Additional characters, e.g. upper and under- similar to pale-throated o Kurdish Wheatear, being overall parts in general and underwing coloration should also greyish-tinged, relatively plain brown-grey above and grey- be used. – Superficially recalls much heavier Isabelline white below (no black throat), with warm reddish-buff vent Wheatear (both have extensive buff upperwings and dark and undertail-coverts extending variably to flanks and belly. lores), but is distinctly greyer above with conspicuous rufous Base of outer tail rusty (not white), not contrasting with at rear. – Might also be confused with larger o Red-rumped rump, and tail has typical inverted black ‘T’. Also, charac- Wheatear but this is easily eliminated by large size, much teristically has warm buff-brown tone to ear-coverts/lower wider black tail-band, gingery tones on much of head rather cheeks, greyer cast to neck-sides and nape, sometimes than restricted to ear-coverts and different overall structure extending to crown (mostly in aa ), and blackish eye-stripe, (Red-rumped deeper-bellied, broader-winged and has rela- especially pronounced on lores (and further emphasized by tively heavier bill). ill-defined greyish-white supercilium). Note also relatively paler, cream-buff upperwing fringes (when fresh almost AGEING & SEXING Ageing requires close inspection of wholly concealing browner, less black, centres), forming moult and feather wear or pattern in wing. Sexes hardly Isabelline Wheatear-like uniform upperwing. Underwing- differ. Seasonal variation also limited. – Moults. Extent and coverts mainly whitish, at most with some black mottling timing of moult mostly as in Kurdish Wheatear (which see). (rather than being solidly blackish as in Kurdish Wheatear). – SPRING Ad o almost inseparable from a though usually notably duller with less grey around neck/head, weaker dark Further differences between Kurdish and Persian Wheatears eye-stripe and more limited rufous below. Differs from 1stS are discussed under Similar species. Other confusion risks by being evenly feathered with relatively less worn, darker perhaps involve o Red-rumped Wheatear, within narrow Ad a, Kuwait, Nov: seasonal and sexual variation very limited. primaries and primary-coverts. 1stS As ad but usually has area of overlap in winter, and Isabelline Wheatear seen at Probably a given purer grey plumage, especially on neck and clearly more worn, brownish juv remiges and some coverts supercilium, with better-marked blackish lores and whiter throat. a distance. 1stW o, probably pale-throated variant, Israel, Nov: some 1stW, especially oo, lack white on tail and can be difficult to separate from o Persian. However, relatively broad black tail-band almost reaches However, not all aa as distinctive as this. Aged by very fresh and (including all primary-coverts); also overall duller (especially tip of longest uppertail-coverts, while obscure dark eye-stripe but better-developed pale supercilium are important additional features. Newly-moulted inner greater coverts, but rest of greater coverts, blackish remiges. (T. Quelennec) VOCALISATIONS Apparently quite similar to Kurdish o). – AUTUMN Ad Much as in spring, but has fresh sandy- remiges and primary-coverts are juv feathers. (Left: O. Horine; right: A. Ben Dov) have blackish centres and more even-width rufous-brown GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION & RANGE Monotypic. – fringes and tips). Juv tertials and secondaries less fresh, SE Turkey, NW Iran, probably NE Iraq; winters Sinai, Egypt, especially at fringes and tips, with paler centres and less Sudan, Arabia. Hybridises with Persian Wheatear in a rather rufous fringes than ad-like post-juv ones. If smallest alula restricted montane area of NW Iran (Kherman Shan). (Syn. replaced it appears clearly darker-centred with a fresher pale cummingi; hawkeri.) fringe than larger juv feathers. 1stW o As ad o; only safely TAXONOMIC NOTES Relationships between xantho- separated by moult limits (less obvious than in 1stW a), but prymna and chrysopygia were studied in NW Iran (Chamani averages duller, and as a rule (possibly invariably) has rufous et al. 2010), showing a fairly limited area of hybridisation (see inner tail corners, not white. Juv Recalls o but has loose above). Hybrids described from NW Iran have been named body-feathering and reduced rufous-orange on rear body, ‘cummingi’, whereas those from Afghanistan and NW India though upperwings extensively fringed cinnamon. Combina- are called ‘kingi’. Relationships between Kurdish Wheatear tion of rufous tail-coverts and vent and lack of any obvious and congeners still unclear and indicate a perhaps closer mottling on body distinguish it from all other juv wheatears. link to Mourning and Finsch’s Wheatears than to Persian Wheatear, thus—if confirmed—further refuting the view that BIOMETRICS L 15–16 cm; W a 89–98.5 mm (n 13, Kurdish and Persian are conspecific. m 95.0), o 86–95.5 mm (n 8, m 90.9); T a 57–63.5 mm (n 13, m 60.3), o 53.5–63 mm (n 8, m 58.6); T/W REFERENCES ALIABADIAN, M. et al. (2007) Mol. Phyl. m 63.8; B 17.5–20.8 mm (n 20, m 18.6); Ts 22.4–25.6 mm & Evol., 42: 665–675. – CHAMANI, A. et al. (2010) African Journal of Biotechnology, 9: 7817–7824. (n 19, m 24.1). Wing formula: p1 > pc 0.5–6 mm, < p2 39–49 mm (once 36); p2 < wt 4.5–9 mm, =5/6 (75%) or =6 or 6/7 (25%); pp3–4(5) longest; p5 < wt 0–2.5 mm; p6 Juv, Turkey, Aug: combination of dusky head and upper breast, 1stS a, Kuwait, Mar: very similar to pale-throated o Kurdish Wheatear, but base of outertail rusty, 1stW o, Oman, Oct: paler birds very similar to Kurdish Wheatear and difficult to identify, especially if some rufous-orange on rear body (mostly on uppertail-coverts invariably lacking white corners of latter. Dark eye-stripe, especially on lores, emphasized by ill- exact tail pattern or darkness of underwing-coverts not seen. Pattern and condition of primary tips, < wt 6–9 mm; p7 < wt 11–14.5 mm; p8 < wt 14–19 mm; and vent) and lack of any obvious mottling on body distinguish it defined paler supercilium. Strong-billed. (R. Al-Hajji) primary-coverts and tail-tip indicate 1stW; sexed as o by rather bland face (lacking darker lores), p10 < wt 19–24 mm; s1 < wt 22–28 mm. Emarg. pp3–5. from all other juv wheatears in region. (R. Bonser) less pure grey upperparts and head. (A. Audevard) — 336 — — 337 —.