Which small songbird migrates from Alaska and Greenland to sub-Saharan Africa each year?

The northern wheatear migrates from Alaska and Greenland to sub-Saharan Africa each year.

This compact chats-and-thrushes relative has one of the longest migrations known for a small songbird. Birds breeding in Alaska and western Canada cross the Bering Strait region before moving through Asia; those from Greenland and northeastern Canada travel eastward through Europe. Most spend the northern winter in Africa.

The species’ migration is remarkable because individuals from Greenland can travel roughly 15,000 kilometres between breeding and wintering areas. That route is much longer than the distance between many European breeding grounds and Africa. The bird’s broad distribution helps explain why it appears in both North American and Eurasian bird lists.

Northern wheatears are often confused with stonechats or other chats, but their white rump and tail pattern are especially distinctive in flight. They breed in open, rocky country and feed mainly on insects and other small invertebrates.