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Recordings
Scientific Name
Oenanthe lugens
Arabic Name
الفقاقة الحزينة الشرقية
Kuwaiti name
فقاقة
Length
13.5 cm
Information
Uncommon winter visitor. A characteristic winter bird of Kuwait’s escarpment wadis, especially in the Jal Az-Zor. Usually seen in small numbers perching on rock outcrops or tiny desert bushes. A distinctive Middle Eastern specialty.
Where in Kuwait
It is found in desert, semi-desert, rocky valleys and ravines, and dry riverbeds or wadis. These areas are typically sloping with a scattering of boulders and sparse vegetation. It has been recorded in the wadis of Jal-Al-Zor, infrequently in coastal zones and in the west at Al-Abraq
In the world
It has a very large range and a population that is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats. It is found in the Palearctic region and occurs in North Africa from Morocco to Egypt, in East Africa, as far south as Tanzania, and also eastwards through the Middle East to Iran. An intriguing dark morph of the Mourning Wheatear (the so-called Basalt Wheatear) occurs in the basalt desert of NE Jordan. A bold, monochrome bird, this species is notable for having two different colour forms or ‘morphs’. The more common ‘white morphs’ are mainly white, with striking black feathers covering the face and back, and with a black bill and legs
Local threats
Habitat loss and degradation