Birds · Passeriformes · Muscicapidae

Northern Wheatear

Oenanthe oenanthe

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

An upright, ground-dwelling bird that moves by walking and hopping over the ground, always out in the open on stones and rises. Its unmistakable feature is the pattern of the tail: white, finished off with the inverted black T common to all wheatears.

Weight

18 g – 32 g

Size

14 cm – 16 cm

Lifespan

5 years

Diet

Insectivore

Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Estimated population

Estimated by BirdLife International at some 2.9 million individuals across the Old World and the Americas as a whole

TundraInsectivore Diurnal In pairs Bird Tundra

47countries 186parks14same family

Fun facts

GeneralThe Alaskan population crosses the whole of Asia to reach Africa: as much as 15,000 km each way.
Its Spanish name comes from the white of its tail: 'colla' plus 'alba'.
The populations that breed in Alaska and Greenland cross half the planet to winter in sub-Saharan Africa, like the rest of the species.
It nests in holes among rocks and also inside abandoned rabbit burrows.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Open stony ground, short grass and tundra
Size at birth: The chicks hatch partly covered in dark grey down
Gestation / incubation: 10-16 days, mainly by the female
Litter / clutch size: 2-9 eggs, with up to two clutches a year between April and July. The chicks fledge at 15 days and become independent at a month

Sources consulted: SEO/BirdLife (ficha y III Atlas de las aves en época de reproducción en España); IUCN Red List; Asturnatura; Animalia.bio; Tellería, Asensio y Díaz 1999, Aves Ibéricas II