A rare and endangered passerine in the Middle East, Red-rumped Wheatear (Oenanthe moesta)
As part of Jordan BirdWatch’s activities to collect and analyse data about avian diversity and threatened species in Jordan, JBW researchers participated in a study about one of the rarest and endangered passerines in the Middle East.
The Middle Eastern population of the Red-rumped Wheatear Oenanthe moesta has a highly restricted distribution, primarily found in Jordan’s transitional arid steppe habitats at elevations between 800 and 1,600 meters above sea level. We observed breeding activity on plateaus and along flat wadis in hilly terrain characterized by sandy soil, gravel, and sparse rocky outcrops. The vegetation in these areas consists mainly of dwarf shrub steppe, typically dominated by Anabasis species and Noaea mucronata. Additionally, the presence of colonial rodents, particularly the Fat Sand Rat (Psammomys obesus), is notable in these habitats. Over the past three decades, the range of the Red-rumped Wheatear in the Middle East has contracted by more than 20%.
Occurrences have become increasingly rare or absent in certain parts of its range, particularly in lower-lying and more disturbed habitats. To identify priority areas for the conservation of the breeding population, a Maximum Entropy (Maxent) model was developed to delineate the (near-)current suitable breeding habitat in Jordan. This model also highlights emerging threats, such as energy projects and quarrying, and identifies key environmental factors that may have contributed to the recent contraction of suitable breeding habitats.
Khoury, F., Korner, P., Saba, M., Al-Marahleh, M., & Alshamlih, M. (2025). Restricted to the steppe-desert ecotone: distribution and status of the regionally threatened Red-rumped Wheatear, Oenanthe moesta in Jordan. Zoology in the Middle East, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/09397140.2025.2495205
