26 May 2020

Red-breasted Wheatear - Talea Valley

Whilst driving down the raod in the Talea Valley I found a pair of Red-breasted Wheatear Oenanthe bottae at the side of the road with a juvenile. As I did not have many photos if this species I stopped in the hope the birds may come closer to the car. Luckily for me they performed well allowing some good photos to be taken whcich are shown below. It is a common breeding resident, mostly sedentary in the highlands of the southwestern mountains of Saudi Arabia and Yemen. It occurs north to Taif always above 2300 metres in flattish areas such as wadi bottoms and cultivated fields with walls. There are two subspecies O. b. frenata from Eritrea, Ethiopia, and nominate O. b bottae from southwest Saudi Arabia to Yemen.
Red-breasted Wheatear

Red-breasted Wheatear

Red-breasted Wheatear

Red-breasted Wheatear

Red-breasted Wheatear

Red-breasted Wheatear

Red-breasted Wheatear

Red-breasted Wheatear

Red-breasted Wheatear

Red-breasted Wheatear

Red-breasted Wheatear

Red-breasted Wheatear

Red-breasted Wheatear