Wheatears have been spotted at RSPB Geltsdale, a clear sign that spring is here and summer isn’t far behind. Wildlife enthusiast Adam Moan snapped this great shot of one of them at the end of March, so we are profiling this distinctive little bird.
Wheatears are small birds, about the size of a robin, which take their name from the old English words for ‘white’ (wheat) and ‘rear’ (ear), referring to their white rump! Adults are approximately 14.5 to 15.5 cm in length, with a wingspan of 26 to 32 cm, and weigh around 24g. Males have blue-grey backs, with black wings and cheeks, white eye stripes and an orange flush to their breasts. In flight they show the white rump which gives them their name, and a black T shape on their tail. Females, meanwhile, have black or brown backs, with cream underneath and orange breasts, and juveniles are speckled.
They are a summer visitor to the UK, mainly breeding on upland heaths and moors in western and northern Britain and western Ireland, although smaller numbers do breed in southern and eastern England. They arrive in the UK in March and leave in September to spend the winter in central Africa. They make one of the longest migratory journeys of any small bird.
They are mainly ground-dwelling birds, often seen running or hopping along the ground and nest in cavities between rocks, rabbit burrows and holes in walls. They usually lay a clutch of between four and seven eggs in May, which hatch after around 13 days. Chicks then fledge after approximately two weeks. Wheatears eat mainly insects, larvae and other invertebrates, as well as berries.