Northern Wheatear
Oenanthe oenanthe
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyMuscicapidae (Papamosques del Vell Món)
- GenusOenanthe (Wheatears and Allies)
- SpeciesOenanthe oenanthe (Northern Wheatear)
The northern wheatear or wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family. It is the most widespread member of the wheatear genus Oenanthe in Europe and North and Central Asia. The northern wheatear is a migratory insectivorous species breeding in open stony country in Europe and east across the Palearctic with footholds in northeastern Canada and Greenland as well as in northwestern Canada and Alaska. It nests in rock crevices and rabbit burrows. All birds spend most of their winter in Africa. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Wheatear sighting in Gates of the Arctic National Park, based on 9 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Gates of the Arctic National Park
Bluethroat
Luscinia svecica
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammea
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Gray Jay
Perisoreus canadensis
Common Raven
Corvus corax
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Swainson's Thrush
Catharus ustulatus
White-winged Crossbill
Loxia leucoptera
Yellow Warbler
Setophaga petechia
Northern Waterthrush
Parkesia noveboracensis
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Northern Wheatear in Gates of the Arctic National Park?
About 13% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Wheatear sighting in Gates of the Arctic National Park, based on 9 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Northern Wheatear in Gates of the Arctic National Park?
August has the highest sighting rate for Northern Wheatear in Gates of the Arctic National Park in our monthly data.