Willem is a wildlife artist based in South Africa. He says "My aim is simply to express the beauty and wonder that is in Nature, and to heighten people's appreciation of plants, animals and the wilderness. Not everything I paint is African! Though I've never been there, I'm also fascinated by Asia and I've done paintings of Asian rhinos and birds as well. I may in future do some of European, Australian and American species too. I'm fascinated by wild things from all over the world! I mainly paint in watercolours. . . but actually many media including 'digital' paintings with the computer!"

This strikingly marked little bird is a Capped Wheatear, Oenanthe pileata. The Afrikaans name is 'Hoëveldskaapwagter', or 'High-veld Shepherd'. It notes this bird's habit of alertly perching on a rock, bush or other prominent position in a farmland, as if it were watching over the sheep. The English name is interesting. 'Wheatear' actually doesn't come from any association with farms or fields of wheat, but is a modification of 'white arse', since many wheatears have white rumps or undertail coverts. This one has both, as you can see in my painting, but its most distinctive markings are its bold black collar and cap. The scientific genus name 'Oenanthe' comes from the Greek 'oenos' (wine) and 'anthos' (flower), and notes the European wheatears' migratory habits, returning in spring as the vineyards start to bloom. The species name means 'with a cap'.

The wheatear genus is large, at present understood as including 33 species. It is quite characteristic of the open grassland, semi-desert, mountainous or tundra regions of Europe, Asia, and Africa, with one species, the Northern Wheatear, establishing itself in northern North America. Wheatears commonly have black, white and grey in their plumage, with some featuring browns or brighter reddish colours. They vary from sparrow-sized to a bit larger. The genus, and many relatives, used to be included in the Thrush Family, the Turdidae, but recent genetic investigations show they are more suitably included in the Flycatcher Family, the Muscicapidae.

Amongst the genus, the Capped Wheatear is one of the boldest in markings and temperament. Its black-and-white face markings give it character and make it easy to identify. Though less often seen, the spread tail has an inverted black 'T' pattern with white outer-tail feathers. Sexes look the same. Juveniles are much duller, mainly brownish. They usually occur in small family parties. It is a bird of the ground, typically running or hopping around, or standing alert, in open habitat such as grassland, desert, livestock pens, or recently ploughed or harvested farmland. It eats insects, especially ants, and other small invertebrates. It usually picks these up from the ground, but may on occasion dig to excavate burrowing critters. It also eats small amounts of seeds and fruits.

This bird's habit of perching on rocks, bushes, termite mounds, fences or any other vantage points, helps it to spot prey or predators, but also helps it advertise its territory through calls and songs. It has a quite varied voice, uttering chirps, whistles, and churrs, but it is also an accomplished mimic of the calls of other birds, which it includes in a rich and varied, melodious song.

The egg laying season for these birds is late winter to early spring, so that the chicks hatch when invertebrate life abounds. The male courts the female with strutting, or flying up to about 3 m above the ground, singing and spreading his wings and tail to reveal the bold markings. Capped wheatears have unusual nesting habits. They use holes in the ground, such as are dug by rodents, or holes in termite hills. They also nest inside man-made holes, or pipes. The nest is situated at a depth of a metre/yard or more. The nest is a cup built of grass and animal hairs. They appear to be very safe sites, and the female lays three to five eggs. They're greenish-blue with pinkish-brown speckles.

Because capped wheatears need very open terrain with lots of exposed ground, they may leave certain regions when good rains lead to the growth of abundant grasses and shrubs, covering the ground with too much vegetation. Capped wheatears thus move around a lot to find habitat that's suitable at the moment. They often move into areas cleared by grass fires. They breed in the early rainy season in moister areas, when the plant growth is just getting started, leaving for drier, open regions when the chicks fledge. They're very widespread in Africa, mostly in the east and south. Because they can adapt to man-modified habitats, they can at present be considered quite secure.

Willem

03.07.23 Front Page

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