The northern wheatear migrates from Alaska to sub-Saharan Africa, making one of the longest journeys relative to body size.
Northern wheatears breed across northern Europe, Asia, Greenland, and parts of Alaska. After the breeding season, they travel south to wintering areas in sub-Saharan Africa. Birds from Alaska and Greenland cross the North Atlantic and Europe before continuing south, producing a route of roughly 15,000 kilometres in some cases.
The species weighs only around 25 grams, so its migration is extraordinary relative to its size. It feeds mainly on insects and other small invertebrates, and it uses open tundra, rocky ground, and grassland habitats. Its pale rump and white tail with a dark central pattern are useful field marks.
Northern wheatears are sometimes mistaken for small chats or robins, but their migration links Arctic and African ecosystems. They are also notable because young birds can complete the first migration despite having no previous experience of the route.