The Maghreb wheatear is a bird, a species of wheatear found in northern Africa. It is a small passerine in a group formerly classed as members of the thrush family Turdidae, but now more generally considered to be part of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae.
Region
Maghreb (Northwest Africa)
Typical Environment
Occurs across Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, with local populations in adjacent North African regions. It favors semi-arid to arid open country with scattered shrubs, rocky slopes, stony plateaus, wadis, and desert margins. The species also uses human-modified edges such as field walls, quarries, and rough fallow where perches and open ground are available. In mountains it ascends dry foothills and plateaus where bare ground and rocks dominate.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2500 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Maghreb wheatear is a small, ground-loving passerine of North Africa’s arid landscapes, recently split from the Mourning Wheatear complex. It belongs to the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae and is a classic rock-perching insect hunter. A flashing white rump and bold tail pattern are key identification clues when it flicks its tail and sallies after prey.
Oeufs de Oenanthe hapophila - MHNT
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief sallies; low bounding flights between rocks
Social Behavior
Pairs defend feeding territories in the breeding season and often perch conspicuously on rocks or low posts. Nests are placed in rock crevices, walls, or holes, lined with plant fibers and hair. Clutches typically contain 4–5 eggs, and both parents feed the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a mix of scratchy, chatty phrases with soft whistles, delivered from a perch or short song flight. Calls include a sharp tchack and thin, buzzy notes used in alarm and contact.
Plumage
Males show a striking black-and-white contrast with dark head and throat, pale to whitish underparts, and a conspicuous white rump; females are sandy-brown above with buffy underparts and a paler throat. Both sexes display the characteristic wheatear tail with a broad black terminal band contrasting with white base. The plumage looks clean and crisp in open light, often accentuated by frequent tail flicks.
Diet
Primarily consumes insects and other small arthropods, including beetles, ants, grasshoppers, caterpillars, and spiders. It gleans from the ground, pursues prey in short dashes, and sometimes makes brief aerial sallies. Occasional small berries or seeds may be taken when invertebrates are scarce.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in open, stony ground with scattered perches such as rocks, shrubs, and fence posts. Often forages along wadi margins, desert steppe, and lightly grazed slopes where bare patches aid prey detection.
