Key Facts
- Length: 15-16cm
- Wingspan: 29cm
- Weight: 24g
- Average Lifespan: maximum 8 years
A robin-sized chat, the wheatear is a summer visitor, arriving here in early March and leaving in September for its African wintering grounds.
The wheatear frequents open rocky country, pasture, moorland and heath. Mainly a ground-dwelling bird, it can be seen running or hopping along the ground. It breeds mainly in western and northern Britain.
How to Identify
Unmistakeable if seen well, the wheatear can be distinguished by its characteristic tail pattern: a black ‘T’ on a white rump, seen when in flight. The male wheatear is a smart bird with a blue-grey back and head, black wings, a white eyestripe and a pale orange chest. Females are browner and juveniles speckled.
Where to find
A summer visitor to the north and west of Britain, found everywhere on migration.
How People Can Help
Wheatears are under threat from habitat loss and fragmentation. The Wildlife Trusts manage heathland nature reserves sympathetically for many bird species by clearing encroaching scrub and implementing beneficial grazing regimes, amongst other activities. You can help too: volunteer for The Wildlife Trusts and you could be involved in everything from traditional heathland management to raising awareness about birds.
Did you know?
The name wheatear is derived from the Old English for white (wheat) and arse (ear), referring to their white rump of course!
Similar Species
Barn Owl
- Birds
Black-Headed Gull
- Birds
Blackbird
- Birds
Blackcap
- Birds
Blue Tit
- Birds
Bullfinch
- Birds
Buzzard
- Birds
Canada Goose
- Birds
Carrion Crow
- Birds
Chaffinch
- Birds
Chiffchaff
- Birds
Coal Tit
- Birds
Collared Dove
- Birds
Coot
- Birds
Curlew
- Birds
Dipper
- Birds
Dunnock
- Birds
Fieldfare
- Birds
Goldcrest
- Birds
Golden Plover
- Birds
Goldfinch
- Birds
Great Tit
- Birds
Hen Harrier
- Birds
Herring Gull
- Birds
Kestrel
- Birds
Kingfisher
- Birds
Lapwing
- Birds
Linnet
- Birds
Little Egret
- Birds
Little Grebe
- Birds
Long-Tailed Tit
- Birds
Magpie
- Birds
Mallard
- Birds
Mandarin Duck
- Birds
Meadow Pipit
- Birds
Moorhen
- Birds
Nuthatch
- Birds
Peregrine falcon
- Birds
Robin
- Birds
Skylark
- Birds
Snipe
- Birds
Starling
- Birds
Swift
- Birds
Tree Sparrow
- Birds
Waxwing
- Birds
Willow Warbler
- Birds
Wood Pigeon
- Birds
Wood Warbler
- Birds
Wren
- Birds