Capped Wheatear (Oenanthe pileata)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Capped Wheatear

Oenanthe pileata (Gmelin, JF, 1789)

17–18 cmLength27 gWeight

The capped wheatear (Oenanthe pileata) is a small insectivorous passerine bird that is widely distributed over southern Africa.

Busiest months: October–November · Most records: South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Capped Wheatear has been recorded at 180 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 13 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Ngorongoro Conservation Area – Ngorongoro CraterTanzania909 records
  2. De Hoop Nature ReserveSouth Africa437 records
  3. Engikaret Lark PlainsTanzania326 records
More places
  1. Rietvlei NRSouth Africa305 records
  2. Darling Hills/Groote Post RoadSouth Africa289 records
  3. Suikerbosrand NRSouth Africa278 records
  4. Serengeti NPTanzania254 records
  5. Marievale Bird SanctuarySouth Africa242 records
  6. Kliphoek Salt PansSouth Africa144 records
  7. Pilanesberg NPSouth Africa122 records

Countries and regions with the most records

South AfricaTanzaniaKenyaNamibiaZambiaBotswanaZimbabweMozambique

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The capped wheatear (Oenanthe pileata) is a small insectivorous passerine bird that is widely distributed over southern Africa. It was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now placed in the Old World flycatcher family, Muscicapidae.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Capped Wheatear?

The Capped Wheatear is about 17–18 cm long and weighs around 27 g.

Where does the Capped Wheatear live?

Its breeding range: Africa: south-central, southern. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya.

When is the best time to see the Capped Wheatear?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in October and November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Capped Wheatear endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Capped Wheatear as Least Concern.

What does the Capped Wheatear eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Capped Wheatear in?

It belongs to the family Chats, Old World Flycatchers (Muscicapidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
17–18 cm
Weight
27 g
Habitat
Grassland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Partial migrant
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
93 mm
Tail
60 mm
Bill
20 mm
Tarsus
32 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: south-central, southern

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Chats, Old World Flycatchers Muscicapidae
Genus
Oenanthe

Other birds in the genus Oenanthe

Northern WheatearNorthern WheatearOenanthe oenantheAtlas WheatearAtlas WheatearOenanthe seebohmiBuff-breasted WheatearBuff-breasted WheatearOenanthe bottaeRusty-breasted WheatearRusty-breasted WheatearOenanthe frenataIsabelline WheatearIsabelline WheatearOenanthe isabellinaHeuglin's WheatearHeuglin's WheatearOenanthe heugliniiHooded WheatearHooded WheatearOenanthe monachaDesert WheatearDesert WheatearOenanthe desertiWestern Black-eared WheatearWestern Black-eared WheatearOenanthe hispanicaPied WheatearPied WheatearOenanthe pleschankaEastern Black-eared WheatearEastern Black-eared WheatearOenanthe melanoleucaCyprus WheatearCyprus WheatearOenanthe cypriaca
Capped Wheatear

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Derek Keats. ↗

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