Northern Wheatear Photo Gallery

Breeding male (Eurasian)

Adult male in breeding plumage has a black mask, grayish upperparts, black wings and tail, and a buffy throat.

Breeding male (Greenland)

“Greenland” adult male in breeding plumage has a darker buff throat and more extensive buff underparts than “Eurasian” adult male.

Breeding male (Eurasian)

A small, rather full-bodied songbird. When alert, stands in an upright position, bobs body, and wags tail. Song is a variable mix of whistles, buzzes, crackling sounds, chack and weet calls, and imitations of the alarm calls of other bird species.

Breeding female (Eurasian)

Adult female in breeding plumage has a faint charcoal mask bordered by a white eyestripe, brownish-gray upperparts, blackish wings and tail, and mostly whitish underparts.

Immature

Some immature birds are a rich cinnamon overall.

Breeding male (Eurasian)

Adult male in breeding plumage has a black mask, gray upperparts, black wings, a black tail, a buffy throat, and white underparts with a variable amount of buff coloring. Frequently found in rocky areas.

Juvenile

Even in unfamiliar juvenile plumage, this species has a distinctive long-legged, short-tailed appearance.

Breeding male (Eurasian)

Shows namesake white rump and white-and-black tail in all plumages. The black band at the tip of the tail extends to form an inverted “T” on the central tail feathers.

Breeding female (Greenland)

Adult breeding female lacks the male’s black mask and has more subdued colors—brownish-gray upperparts and brownish-black wings. Both sexes frequently give chack and weet calls, often in combination.

Nonbreeding male

Typically found on the ground, often perched on rocks.

Nonbreeding adult

Nonbreeding male has a reduced black mask, grayish upperparts, and black wings with buffy feather edging.

Breeding female (Greenland)

Nests in rocky crevices, animal burrows, and human-made cavities (in building crevices, under roof tiles, in pipes, etc.). Feeds primarily on insects.

Female/immature (Eurasian)

Female and immature in the autumn have black lore (between eye and bill), faint blackish mask behind the eye, whitish stripe over the eye, and brownish-gray upperparts.