Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
Although this species may have a small range, it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion. The population size is very large, hence does not approach threatened thresholds for the range or population size criteria. The population trend appears to be increasing, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion. For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Population justification
This species breeds only in Cyprus, where the total population size is estimated at 100,000-200,000 mature individuals, with 50,000-100,000 breeding pairs (BirdLife International 2021). The population is considered to have undergone a small increase over three generations (10 years) (BirdLife International 2021).
Trend justification
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This species inhabits a wide range of habitats, including mountain pine forest clearings, hills and mountains with rough open ground and scattered trees, broken rocky ground, open natural and farmed lowlands, woodland and plantations, gardens, industrial and suburban areas and house compounds. The breeding season is from April to July. The nest is a loose bulky cup of grass and roots, placed low down in a hole in an earth bank, stone or mud wall, terrace, roadside, tree, behind loose eucalypt bark or under a stone. It can also be set in a cave or an artificial site, such as a metal pipe, empty can, flowerpot, shed shelves or nestbox. Clutches are four to five eggs (Collar 2015). The diet is almost entirely insects, especially ants beetles and grasshoppers but will also take berries and has been recorded taking a lizard. The species is migratory, wintering mostly in Sudan and Ethiopia (Snow and Perrins 1998).
The only known threat to this species in Cyprus is from bird-catchers using lime-sticks and mist-nets and also from shooting at migration times (Tucker and Heath 1994).
Conservation Actions Underway
CMS Appendix II. EU Birds Directive Annex I. There are currently no known conservation measures for this species.
Conservation Actions Proposed
The implementation and enforcement of existing laws against trapping is urgently required. Controls are needed on the use of lime-sticks and on the import, sale and use of mist-nets as well as on the trafficking and sale of birds as food in restaurants. In addition a wider, more systematic system of monitoring the situation and the species's population (Tucker and Heath 1994, Collar 2015).
Text account compilers
Rutherford, C.A., Martin, R.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Cyprus Wheatear Oenanthe cypriaca. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/cyprus-wheatear-oenanthe-cypriaca on 25/11/2024.
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 25/11/2024.