Wheatear

Wheatears are birds of mountain and moorland, but they are also found in quarries, abandoned factory sites, dunes and shingle. The name has nothing to do with wheat or ears, being a corruption of “white rear”, by which the bird is often seen as it hops among the rocks.


The wheatear

The wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) is a summer visitor to the UK, wintering in Africa. It is quite a common sight in remote areas of Scotland, Wales, south-west England and western Ireland, but less so in the south and east of England.

Not all the wheatears seen in the UK will breed here, as many are on passage to places further north, such as Iceland and Greenland. The wheatear is on the amber list of threatened species, as maintained by the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds).


Appearance and behaviour

The wheatear is around 14 centimetres (5.5 inches) long, which makes it about the same size as a robin (European), to which it is related. The males are dapper birds, being grey above and buff below, with dark wings and behind the eyes. The white tail is short, ending in a dark inverted T. The females are duller, with brown backs and face markings. After the summer moult, both males and females are generally browner and more difficult to tell apart.

The wheatear is generally a ground bird, although it does make short low flights between rocky vantage points, or up and down a few feet to catch insects. It moves in long hops along the ground, flicking its wings and tail as it does so.

The voice is not unlike that of the stonechat, which takes its name from the sounds of stones clinking together, but it also has a warbling song, mixed with whistles, that is heard in flight. A recording of the song (and other information) can be found on the page devoted to wheatears on the RSPB website.


Breeding

The nest is built in crevices among the rocks, using twigs and stalks and a lining of hair and feathers. Wheatears may also nest in holes under walls, or in rabbit burrows. Five to seven eggs are incubated, mainly by the female, with hatching generally taking place after about 14 days. Both parents feed the chicks with beetles, butterflies and other invertebrates, this being the same food that the adult birds live on. The young leave the nest at about two weeks of age, but only learn to fly a few days later. A second brood is possible.

© John Welford