About the Pied Wheatear
The pied wheatear is a wheatear, a small insectivorous passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher. This migratory central Asiatic wheatear occurs from the extreme southeast of Europe to China, and has been found wintering in India and northeastern Africa. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
The crown, nape and neck of the adult male pied wheatear are pale brown, the feathers having pale tips and white bases. The mantle and scapulars are black with buff tips to the feathers. The back, rump and upper tail-coverts are creamy-white. The central pair of tail feathers are black with white bases but the rest are white with black tips, the outer pair having rather more black than the rest. There is a narrow buff-coloured line extending from the base of the beak to over the eye and the lores, ear coverts, chin, throat and upper breast are black.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
What the Pied Wheatear sounds like
Where the Pied Wheatear lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in France, Finland, Netherlands, United States, Taiwan, Japan, Poland, Hong Kong SAR China, Seychelles.
When to see the Pied Wheatear
Peak activity in March · a variable species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Black WheatearOenanthe leucuraThis large 16–18 cm long wheatear.
BlackstartOenanthe melanuraThe blackstart is around 14 cm (5.5 in) in length with a wingspan of 23–27 cm (9.1–10.6 in) and a weight of around 15 g (0.53 oz).
White-crowned WheatearOenanthe leucopygaThis large 17–18 cm long wheatear breeds in stony deserts from the Sahara and Arabia across to Iraq.
Learn the Pied Wheatear in BeakBrain
Photo and call practice, free in any browser.
Play BeakBrainEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.