The black morph of Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe l. lugens was studied in Jordan and compared with the typical nominate form during 2007–2009. The extremely low density of black morph Mourning Wheatears and the presence of unpaired adults during the breeding season in our study area suggests that this morph, which occurs only in the basalt desert of northeast Jordan and southern Syria, is highly endangered and probably at the edge of extinction, at least in Jordan. The two forms of nominate Mourning Wheatear barely overlap in their geographical distribution in Jordan. The black morph occurs exclusively in black lava desert during the breeding season. Both forms choose similar structural habitats that include rock boulders, rock piles and cliffs, steep slopes or man-made vertical structures. With the exception of coloration, the morphology of both is generally the same, suggesting rather low taxonomic differentiation of the black form. Nevertheless, differences in plumage coloration between the two morphs are also present at the juvenile stage as demonstrated by photos of a black morph juvenile.

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