Except for the central pair, the tail feathers are much whiter than in the northern wheatear, the white on the inner web often extending to the tip.

The female is a more gray-brown bird, but has the characteristic white lower back, and her seasonal changes are less marked.

The male eastern black-eared wheatear can be distinguished from the male western black-eared wheatear by its whiter, less buff-tinted upperparts than the latter species, giving it a more distinctly black-and-white appearance, as well as by having the black of the mask reaching just above the base of the bill.

It is found breeding in the eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Europe to the Caspian Sea and Iran and migrates to winter quarters in the Sudan.

Prefers open habitats with scattered trees, such as savanna, rocky slopes, and barren pastures.