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 →
<5% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Wheatear sighting in Virunga National Park, based on 6 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Virunga National Park
Familiar Chat
Oenanthe familiaris
Isabelline Wheatear
Oenanthe isabellina
Pied Wheatear
Oenanthe pleschanka
White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher
Dioptrornis fischeri
African Dusky Flycatcher
Muscicapa adusta
White-browed Robin-Chat
Cossypha heuglini
African Stonechat
Saxicola torquatus
Swamp Flycatcher
Muscicapa aquatica
Dusky-blue Flycatcher
Muscicapa comitata
Grey Winged Robin Chat
Cossypha polioptera
White-starred Robin
Pogonocichla stellata
Equatorial Akalat
Sheppardia aequatorialis
📅 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 Virunga National Park?
About 0% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Wheatear sighting in Virunga National Park, based on 6 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Northern Wheatear in Virunga National Park?
January has the highest sighting rate for Northern Wheatear in Virunga National Park in our monthly data.