Northern Wheatear

Basic Description

Modestly attired in gray, black, white, and buff, Northern Wheatears show off some pizzazz when they take flight, revealing a bright white rump and striking black-and-white tail. They forage for insects on the ground in meadows, grazed pastures, and tundra, and perch and sing from prominent rocks and shrubs on their fiercely defended territories. Found across northern Eurasia, this species also nests in Alaska and eastern Canada. These North American breeders undertake epic migrations to reach their nonbreeding grounds in Africa.