The Northern Wheatear has one of the most extraordinary migrations of any songbird — Alaskan-breeding birds fly westward across Siberia and the Middle East to their African wintering grounds. The white rump patch flashing as it bobs on arctic boulders is highly distinctive. It breeds on rocky tundra across Alaska and northern Canada.
Best time to see a Northern Wheatear
The best time to see a Northern Wheatear is March–July, when about 66% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 3,210 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Northern Wheatear? What bird is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Northern Wheatear sightings near you
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