446 



A PBACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



north-west China ; wintering in north-east and east Africa, south 

 Arabia, and west India. Casual in south-east Europe, a few times 

 observed in Tunisia and Algeria. 



CENANTHE LEUCURA 



184. GEnanthe leucura leucura (Gm.) THE BLACK 

 WHEATEAR. 



TTTODUS LEUCTTRUS Gmelin, Syst. Nat., i, ii, p. 820 (1789 Gibraltar). 

 Saxicola leucura (Gm.), N. F. Ticehurst, Brit. B., in, p. 289. 



DESCRIPTION . Adult 

 male. Winter. Whole 

 body - plumage black 

 somewhat glossy and 

 with slight brownish 

 tinge, except rump, 

 upper and under tail- 

 coverts which are 

 white ; some feathers of 

 vent and ventral end of 

 flanks with white tips ; 

 tail-feathers narrowly 

 tipped white : central 

 pair with about basal 

 half white and distal 

 half brown-black, rest 

 of feathers white with 

 black tips (black 

 measured from tip of 

 feather to its farthest 

 extremity basally is in 

 central feather 30-36 

 mm. and in fourth from 

 outer 10-15 mm. the 

 black often being 

 divided with white) ; 

 wing-feathers blackish- 

 brown, outer webs very 

 narrowly edged pale 



brown and inner Webs Lower figure, The Black Wheatear ((Enanthe I. leucura). 

 pHo-pd OTPtH<h - whifp Upper figure, The North African Black Wheatear ((E.I. 

 edged greyisn - WniDe , sy ^ uica ) f Males. Showing difference in amount of black 



primary-coverts as mtaUs. 



primaries ; innermost 



secondaries and wing-coverts darker than rest of wing-feathers 



but not so black as body -feathers. This plumage is acquired by 



complete moult July to Oct. Summer. No moult. Abrasion 



makes plumage rather more brownish. 



