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A photo of a Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe), male
Northern Wheatear, Male

Northern Wheatear

Oenanthe oenanthe

The northern wheatear or wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae. It is the most widespread member of the wheatear genus Oenanthe in Europe and North and Central Asia. The northern wheatear is larger than the European robin at 14.5–16 cm in length. Both sexes have a white rump and tail, with a black inverted T-pattern at the end of the tail. The plumage of the summer male has grey upperparts, buff throat and black wings and face mask. In autumn it resembles the female apart from the black wings. The female is pale brown above and buff below with darker brown wings. The male has a whistling, crackly song. Its call is a typical chat chack noise, and the flight call is the same. The northern wheatear is a migratory insectivorous species breeding in open stony country in Europe and east across the Palearctic with footholds in northeastern Canada and Greenland as well as in northwestern Canada and Alaska. It nests in rock crevices and rabbit burrows. All birds spend most of their winter in Africa.
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Northern Wheatears on Birda

Photos

Sightings

A map showing the sighting location
🦅
Joe Scorey
Monday 29 May 2023 - 7:40am
United Kingdom
A photo of a Wheatear photographed in  United Kingdom
Profile picture for Naomi Pendleton
Naomi Pendleton
Sunday 28 May 2023 - 6:14pm
United Kingdom
A map showing the sighting location
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Holly Vee
Sunday 28 May 2023 - 11:14am
United Kingdom
A map showing the sighting location
Profile picture for james ferrier
james ferrier
Sunday 28 May 2023 - 11:08am
United Kingdom
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