Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species has an extremely large range and the population size is very 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 204,000-617,000 mature individuals, with 102,000-309,000 breeding pairs (BirdLife International 2021), and comprises approximately 25% of the species' global range, so a very preliminary estimate of the global population size is between 816,000-2,470,000 mature individuals, although further validation of this estimate is desirable. In Europe the trend for this species is not known (BirdLife International 2021). As no other data are available to derive trends, the global population trend for this species is unknown
Trend justification
.
This species breeds in rocky sloping country, and particularly limestone canyons and ravines, in and at bases of foothills and low mountains in sparsely vegetated scrubby semi-desert, dry boulder-strewn slopes with outcrops and clefts, screes, talus mounds, empty gulleys and ravines and adjacent dry fields. In the winter it favours more open plains areas. Breeding occurs from April in the west of its range until to July in Armenia, from May to June in the Caucasus and Central Asia, reportedly as early as mid-February in south-central Asia and May in Pakistan. The nest is a shallow cup of twigs and plant stems, lined with grass and hair and set in a shallow ground depression among rocks or under a heap of stones. Clutches are four to six eggs. It feeds on invertebrates, especially ants and beetles, but also takes seeds and other vegetable material. The species is a migrant or partial migrant and, in the south of its breeding range, it is probably sedentary or makes short-distance vertical movements (Collar 2015).
There are not thought to be any current significant threats to this species within its European range.
Conservation Actions Underway
CMS Appendix II. There are currently no known conservation measures for this species within its European range.
Conservation Actions Proposed
No conservation measures are currently needed for this species within its European range.
Text account compilers
Rutherford, C.A., Martin, R.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Finsch's Wheatear Oenanthe finschii. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/finschs-wheatear-oenanthe-finschii on 04/12/2024.
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 04/12/2024.