Blackstart facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blackstart |
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The blackstart (Oenanthe melanura) is a small bird that lives in desert areas. You can find it in North Africa, the Middle East, and the Arabian Peninsula. This bird stays in the same area all year round; it doesn't migrate.
Blackstarts are about 14 centimeters (5.5 inches) long. They get their name from their black tail, which they often fan out like a fan! The rest of their feathers are a bluish-grey or grey-brown color. Birds from North Africa tend to be browner, while those from the Middle East are bluer. Male and female blackstarts look very similar. Their song is a clear, sad-sounding whistle, like CHURlee...TRUloo.... They also use shorter parts of their song as calls.
These birds live in rocky deserts and on mountain slopes. They build their nests in cracks in rocks and usually lay 3 to 4 eggs. Blackstarts mostly eat insects, which they catch on the ground. They are quite brave birds and don't seem to be afraid of people.
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About the Blackstart Bird
What's in a Name?
The blackstart was first officially described by a Dutch zoologist named Coenraad Jacob Temminck in 1824. Its scientific name, melanura, comes from ancient Greek words. "Melas" means "black" and "oura" means "tail". So, melanura simply means "with a black tail", which perfectly describes this bird!
Scientists have studied the blackstart's family tree. They found that it belongs to a group of birds called Oenanthe, which are also known as wheatears.
Different Kinds of Blackstarts
There are six slightly different types, or subspecies, of blackstarts. They look very similar but have small differences in the color of their feathers. For example, the blackstarts found in North Africa are a bit browner than those in other areas.
- O. m. melanura: Found from northeast Egypt to Israel, Jordan, and central Saudi Arabia.
- O. m. neumanni: Lives in southwest Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Oman.
- O. m. lypura: Found from north-central Sudan to Eritrea.
- O. m. aussae: Lives in northeast Ethiopia, Djibouti, and north Somalia.
- O. m. airensis: Found from north Niger to central Sudan.
- O. m. ultima: Lives in east Mali and west Niger.
How Big Are They?
Blackstarts are small birds. They are about 14 centimeters (5.5 inches) long. Their wingspan, which is how wide they are with their wings spread out, is about 23 to 27 centimeters (9 to 10.5 inches). They weigh around 15 grams, which is about the same as a few coins!
The main type of blackstart, O. m. melanura, has bluish-grey feathers on its back. Its wings are a bit darker, and its rump and tail are black. Their belly and the underside of their wings are greyish-white. Their beak and legs are black.
Where Blackstarts Live
Blackstarts prefer rocky deserts and mountain slopes. They are quite common in certain areas:
- In Egypt, you can often see them in the Sinai peninsula.
- In Israel, they are mostly found in the Negev Desert, the Arava Valley, and around the Dead Sea. They are also present in the Jordan River valley, but less common there.
- In Jordan, they live in the western parts of the country. This includes areas from the Jordan River valley south through the Dead Sea region to the Arava Valley and Aqaba Mountains.
Blackstart Families
Nesting and Eggs
Blackstarts are monogamous, meaning a male and female bird stay together as a pair. They live in their breeding territory all year long. The female builds the nest all by herself. She might place it between large rocks, in a crack in a rock, or even in an old burrow.
The nest is a shallow cup made of grass and leaves. It's lined with soft materials like hair and fine plant bits. The female often puts small pebbles around the entrance of the nest.
She usually lays 3 or 4 eggs. These eggs are pale blue with tiny red-brown speckles. Each egg is about 19.6 x 14.7 millimeters (0.77 x 0.58 inches) and weighs about 2.26 grams.
Raising Chicks
The female bird sits on the eggs to keep them warm, a process called incubation. This lasts for about 13 to 14 days until the chicks hatch. Both parents help feed the baby birds. The young blackstarts are ready to leave the nest after about 14 days. Blackstart pairs can raise up to three groups of chicks in a single year!
Scientists who studied blackstarts near the Dead Sea in Israel found something interesting. A big reason why some nests failed was because mice, like the Golden spiny mouse and Cairo spiny mouse, sometimes ate the eggs.
