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% of wildlife watchers report a Isabelline Wheatear sighting in Virunga National Park, based on 6 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Virunga National Park
Familiar Chat
Oenanthe familiaris
Northern Wheatear
Oenanthe oenanthe
Pied Wheatear
Oenanthe pleschanka
White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher
Dioptrornis fischeri
African Dusky Flycatcher
Muscicapa adusta
White-browed Robin-Chat
Cossypha heuglini
African Stonechat
Saxicola torquatus
Swamp Flycatcher
Muscicapa aquatica
Dusky-blue Flycatcher
Muscicapa comitata
Grey Winged Robin Chat
Cossypha polioptera
White-starred Robin
Pogonocichla stellata
Equatorial Akalat
Sheppardia aequatorialis
📅 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 Virunga National Park?
About 0% of wildlife watchers report a Isabelline Wheatear sighting in Virunga National Park, based on 6 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Isabelline Wheatear in Virunga National Park?
November has the highest sighting rate for Isabelline Wheatear in Virunga National Park in our monthly data.