Oenanthe finschii

Finsch’s Wheatear is classified as Vulnerable (VU) because of the extremely small size of its breeding population, estimated at less than 50 adult individuals, combined with a regional adjustment for the fact that the breeding population in Israel is a marginal population at the edge of the global range of the species. In the previous edition of the Red Book (2002), it was classified as Least Concern (LC). The change in its threat category reflects differences in the assessment methods between the two editions and not a significant change in the status of the population.

Habitats	Rocky Terrain, Alpine Scrubland
Presence In Israel	Summer Breeder, Winter Visitor
Nesting In Israel	Breeder
Migration Types	Short Range / Partial
Zoography Zones	Alpine
Landscape Formations	Mountainous, Rugged Terrain
Vegetation Formations	Mediterranean Garrigue, Steppe
Vegetation Densities	Low
Nest Locations	Ground
Diet Types	Invertebrate
Foraging Grounds	Ground
Body Sizes	Small (up to 500g)
Threat Factors	Habitat Fragmentation

Finsch’s Wheatear is a medium-sized, prominently sexually dimorphic wheatear. The males have a distinct black and white plumage, with almost no grey or brown. The female has brown-grey upperparts, a grey breast and occasionally a blackish throat, reminiscent of the male plumage.

A relatively common winter visitor in the Golan Heights, the Eastern Galilee, the Judean and Samarian mountains and the Northern Negev shrublands. It is an extremely rare breeder on the upper Mt. Hermon. Only 1-2 pairs were recorded in surveys conducted on Mt. Hermon in 2013 and 2014, at an altitude of 1,300 meters.

Finsch’s Wheatear nests on rocky mountain slopes. It winters in shrubland and in rocky or semi-exposed areas on mountain slopes or in desert transition area.

Finsch’s Wheatear is threatened by development work on Mt. Hermon, including roadworks, development of ski runs and other installations.

No specific conservation measures have been taken for this species to date.

Development work on Mt. Hermon should be kept to a minimum and supervised to minimize damage to natural habitats.

• ישראלי, נ. ופרלמן, י. 2013. סיכום סקר עופות מקננים בחרמון. דו"ח מרכז הצפרות של החברה להגנת הטבע.
• פז, ע. 1986. עופות. מתוך אלון, ע. (עורך), החי והצומח של ארץ ישראל. כרך 6. הוצאת משרד הביטחון, ישראל.

• Shirihai, H., 1996. The Birds of Israel. Academic Press, London.
• Symes, A. 2013. Species generation lengths. Unpublished, BirdLife International.
• Species page at Birdlife International