Old World FlycatchersNorthern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
- ORDER: Passeriformes
- FAMILY: Muscicapidae
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.
More ID InfoOther Names
- Collalba Gris (Spanish)
- Traquet motteux (French)
- Cool Facts
- Some Northern Wheatears are champion migrants that cross much of the Northern Hemisphere each year on their way to nonbreeding grounds in sub-Saharan Africa. In particular, North American wheatears get to Africa by two very different and very grueling routes. Breeders in Alaska and Yukon migrate some 14,500 km (9,000 miles) across Asia, while breeders in eastern Canada and Greenland fly nonstop for 3–4 days across the North Atlantic.
- Northern Wheatear’s scientific name, Oenanthe oenanthe, combines Greek words for “wine” and “flower,” alluding to its return to Greece as grapevines are blossoming in spring. The common name “wheatear” refers to the conspicuous white rump of this species.
- During the nonbreeding season in Africa, Northern Wheatears seek out large evergreen trees to stay cool in the shade during the hottest part of the day.
- Feeding chicks is a full-time job that just gets more demanding with more daylight. In Sweden, Greenland, and northern Canada, where the summer sun only briefly dips below the horizon, adults feed nestlings over a span of 19–20 hours each day.