Wheatear 193894 218372749 2008-06-10T10:34:21Z Wereon 33684 {{Taxobox | name = Wheatears | image = Oenanthe oenanthe 01 II.jpg | image_caption = [[Northern Wheatear]] (male) | regnum = [[Animal]]ia | phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]] | classis = [[bird|Aves]] | ordo = [[Passeriformes]] | familia = [[Muscicapidae]] | genus = '''''Oenanthe''''' | genus_authority = [[Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot|Vieillot]], 1816 | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = See text. }} [[Image:Wheatear bird.jpg|thumb|150px|Northern Wheatear]] The '''wheatears''' are birds of the [[genus]] '''''Oenanthe'''''. They were formerly considered to be members of the [[Thrush (bird)|thrush]] family Turdidae, but are now more commonly now placed in the [[Old World flycatcher|flycatcher]] family Muscicapidae. This is an Old World group, but the [[Northern Wheatear]] has established a foothold in eastern [[Canada]] and [[Greenland]]. ''Oenanthe'' is also the name of a [[plant]] genus, the [[water dropwort]]s, and is derived from the Greek ''ainos'' "wine" and ''anthos'' "flower", from the wine-like scent of the flowers.<ref name =Botanical >{{cite web|title= Dropwort, Hemlock Water |work= A Modern herbal |url= http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/d/drophe21.html |publisher= Botanical.com | accessdate=2008-02-05}}</ref> In the case of the wheatear, it references the fact that the type species, the Northern Wheatear, returns to Greece in the spring just as the [[Vitis|grapevines]] blossom.<ref name = enature >{{cite web|title= Northern Wheatear|work= |url= http://www.enature.com/flashcard/show_flash_card.asp?recordNumber=bd0637 |publisher= eNature |accessdate=2008-02-05}}</ref> They are terrestrial insectivorous [[passerine]] [[bird]]s of open, often dry, country . They often nest in rock crevices or disused burrows. Northern species are long-distance [[bird migration|migrants]], wintering in [[Africa]]. Wheatears are typically larger than the [[European Robin]]. Most species have characteristic black and white or red and white markings on their rumps or their long tails. Most species are strongly [[sexual dimorphism|sexually dimorphic]]; only the male has the striking plumage patterns characteristic of the genus, though the females share the white or red rump patches. Its [[English language|English]] name has nothing to do with [[wheat]] or [[ears]], but is a [[bowdlerise]]d form of white-arse, which refers to its prominent white rump. The wheatear species are: * [[Northern Wheatear]], ''Oenanthe oenanthe'' * [[Isabelline Wheatear]], ''Oenanthe isabellina'' * [[Desert Wheatear]], ''Oenanthe deserti'' * [[Black-eared Wheatear]], ''Oenanthe hispanica'' * [[Pied Wheatear]], ''Oenanthe pleschanka'' * [[Cyprus Wheatear]], ''Oenanthe cypriaca'' * [[Finsch's Wheatear]], ''Oenanthe finscii'' * [[Mourning Wheatear]], ''Oenanthe lugens'' * [[Hooded Wheatear]], ''Oenanthe monacha'' * [[White-crowned Wheatear]], ''Oenanthe leucopyga'' * [[Black Wheatear]], ''Oenanthe leucura'' * [[Persian Wheatear]] or Red-tailed Wheatear, ''Oenanthe xanthoprymna'' * [[Red-rumped Wheatear]], ''Oenanthe moesta'' * [[Hume's Wheatear]], ''Oenanthe alboniger'' * [[Mountain Wheatear]], ''Oenanthe monticola'' * [[Somali Wheatear]], ''Oenanthe phillipsi'' * [[Variable Wheatear]], ''Oenanthe picata'' * [[Capped Wheatear]], ''Oenanthe pileata'' * [[Red-breasted Wheatear]], ''Oenanthe bottae'' * [[Heuglin's Wheatear]], ''Oenanthe heuglini'' ==References== {{reflist}} [[Category:Oenanthe|*]] [[Category:Genera of birds]] [[de:Steinschmätzer (Gattung)]] [[fr:Oenanthe (oiseau)]] [[he:סלעית (ציפור)]] [[ka:მეღორღია]] [[sw:Mhozo]] [[lt:Kūltupiai]]