Isabelline Wheatear
Oenanthe isabellina
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyMuscicapidae (Papamosques del Vell Món)
- GenusOenanthe (Wheatears and Allies)
- SpeciesOenanthe isabellina (Isabelline Wheatear)
The isabelline wheatear (Oenanthe isabellina) is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher in the family Muscicapidae. It is a migratory insectivorous bird. Its habitat is steppe and open countryside and it breeds in southern Russia and Central Asia to northern Pakistan, wintering in Africa and northwestern India. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe. In colouring it resembles a female northern wheatear but it is larger at 15–16.5 centimetres (5.9–6.5 in) in length, more upright and more tawny in colour, and has more black on its tail. The term isabelline refers to the parchment-like colouration. Wikipedia →
5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Isabelline Wheatear sighting in Tsavo West National Park, based on 75 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Tsavo West National Park
Northern Wheatear
Oenanthe oenanthe
Pied Wheatear
Oenanthe pleschanka
Capped Wheatear
Oenanthe pileata
White-browed Scrub Robin
Erythropygia leucophrys
Spotted Morning-Thrush
Cichladusa guttata
Spotted Flycatcher
Muscicapa striata
African Gray Flycatcher
Bradornis microrhynchus
Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush
Monticola saxatilis
African Stonechat
Saxicola torquatus
White-starred Robin
Pogonocichla stellata
Southern Black Flycatcher
Melaenornis pammelaina
African Dusky Flycatcher
Muscicapa adusta
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Isabelline Wheatear in Tsavo West National Park?
About 7% of wildlife watchers report a Isabelline Wheatear sighting in Tsavo West National Park, based on 75 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Isabelline Wheatear in Tsavo West National Park?
February has the highest sighting rate for Isabelline Wheatear in Tsavo West National Park in our monthly data.