The northern wheatear is the only land bird known to cross the Atlantic in both directions during its annual migration.
This small chat breeds across northern Europe, Asia, Alaska, and parts of Canada. Birds from western North America can fly eastward across the Atlantic to Europe before continuing south to Africa. In spring, they return by a route that again involves the ocean.
The species therefore makes an extraordinary intercontinental journey despite weighing only a few tens of grams. Its migration connects Arctic and sub-Arctic breeding grounds with wintering regions in sub-Saharan Africa.
The northern wheatear is not a true thrush, despite its English name in some older regional usage. It is a member of the Old World flycatcher family and is recognizable by its white rump and black-and-white tail pattern.