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Northern Wheatear

Oenanthe oenanthe

Least Concern (IUCN Red List)Old World Flycatchers
Northern Wheatear, photographed by Alexis Lours

Photo: Alexis Lours · Wikimedia · CC-BY 4.0 (licence)

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Call and song

About the Northern Wheatear

Small thrush-like bird with distinctive black-and-white tail pattern best seen in flight. Throughout most of range, breeding male is overall pale with gray back and buffy throat, black mask, and black wings. Breeding female is duller without black mask. Nonbreeding and immature birds are bright buffy overall with subtle pale eyebrow and lack contrasting black wings. Note long legs and upright posture. Tends to stay on the ground or on low perches. Primarily Eurasian species with a limited breeding range in Alaska; breeds in areas of bare rock and short grass and spends the non-breeding season in open habitats such as grasslands and barren rocky plains. Jumbled-sounding song is quite variable, often including whistles, trills, and mimicry. Calls include a high-pitched “weet”, dry rattle, and dry “chak”, often repeated.

Species account: eBird.org, fetched 2025-12-26 · How these pages are made

Where it has been recorded

Recorded in 144 of the 253 countries we have eBird lists for. Each opens that country's checklist.

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