Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species has an extremely large range and the population size is extremely large, hence does not approach threatened thresholds for the range or population size criteria. The population trend is not known, but the population is not believed to be decreasing sufficiently rapidly to approach the thresholds under the population trend criterion. For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Population justification
In Europe, the total population size is estimated at 2,530,000-7,250,000 mature individuals, with 1,260,000-3,630,000 breeding pairs (BirdLife International 2021), and comprises approximately 55% of the species' global range, so a very preliminary estimate of the global population size is between 4,600,000-13,200,000 mature individuals, although further validation of this estimate is desirable. Europe holds over half of the species' global range, and the Iberian breeding population has declined markedly (BirdLife International 2021), but a lack of data from elsewhere in its range means that the overall population trend is unknown (BirdLife International 2021).
Trend justification
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This species breeds in warm climatic zones in stony, scrubby, often broken terrain (slopes and foothills) around open woodland of alerce (Tetraclinis), juniper (Juniperus) or oak (Quercus), amid Olea and Pistacia scrub, olive trees, cactus groves, and in fallowland, vineyards, dry maquis steppe and shrub-covered limestone hills. Breeding begins from March to June in north-west Africa, late April in Spain and from early May in Greece and Armenia. The nest is a rather flat cup of stems, moss and fibres, lined with hair or down and set on the ground under a stone, rocky overhang or tussock, among scree, in burrow or hole in ruin or wadi bank. Clutches are typically four of five eggs. The diet is made up of invertebrates, berries and seeds. The species is migratory and travels on a broad front across the Mediterranean and Sahara to winter in the African Sahel (Collar 2015).
Since 1970 the species has declined in western Europe, most likely due to drought in its wintering quarters and agricultural intensification, as well as afforestation and abandonment of low-intensity farming (Collar 2015). It may also be threatened locally by predation from foxes (Vulpes) and feral dogs (Tucker and Heath 1994).
Conservation Actions Underway
CMS Appendix II. Bern Convention Appendix II. In Spain the species is nationally red-listed as “Near-threatened” (Collar 2015). Increases in sheep grazing within Iberia have been favourable to this species (Tucker and Heath 1994).
Conservation Action Proposed
Areas of sheep grazing need to be conserved through support for traditional pastoral farming methods within Europe (Tucker and Heath 1994).
Text account compilers
Rutherford, C.A., Martin, R.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe hispanica. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/black-eared-wheatear-oenanthe-hispanica on 22/11/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 22/11/2024.