Northern Wheatear
Northern WheatearNorthern WheatearNorthern WheatearNorthern Wheatear

Northern Wheatear

Oenanthe oenanthe

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
10–20% · With luck
overall probability at Cairngorms National Park
296 Verified records at Cairngorms National Park
April Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The northern wheatear or wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family. It is the most widespread member of the wheatear genus Oenanthe in Europe and North and Central Asia. The northern wheatear is a migratory insectivorous species breeding in open stony country in Europe and east across the Palearctic with footholds in northeastern Canada and Greenland as well as in northwestern Canada and Alaska. It nests in rock crevices and rabbit burrows. All birds spend most of their winter in Africa. Wikipedia →

10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Wheatear sighting in Cairngorms National Park, based on 296 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Cairngorms National Park

European Robin
LC

European Robin

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Erithacus rubecula

70–80% · Likely
Spotted Flycatcher
LC

Spotted Flycatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Muscicapa striata

10–20% · With luck
European Stonechat

European Stonechat

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Saxicola rubicola

10–20% · With luck
Common Redstart
LC

Common Redstart

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Phoenicurus phoenicurus

5–10% · With luck
European Pied Flycatcher
LC

European Pied Flycatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ficedula hypoleuca

<5% · Rare
Whinchat
LC

Whinchat

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Saxicola rubetra

<5% · Rare
Red-breasted Flycatcher
LC

Red-breasted Flycatcher

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Ficedula parva

<5% · Rare
Black Redstart
LC

Black Redstart

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Phoenicurus ochruros

Insufficient data
Chaffinch
LC

Chaffinch

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Fringilla coelebs

80–90% · Very likely
Coal Tit
LC Endemic

Coal Tit

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Periparus ater

60–70% · Likely
Blue Tit
LC

Blue Tit

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cyanistes caeruleus

60–70% · Likely
Great Tit
LC Endemic

Great Tit

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Parus major

60–70% · Likely

📅 Monthly Probability

<5
Jan
<5
Feb
5–10
Mar
20–30
Apr
10–20
May
10–20
Jun
10–20
Jul
10–20
Aug
<5
Sep
<5
Oct
<5
Nov
<5
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Aigüestortes National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
30–40%
2 Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
30–40%
3 Mercantour National Park 🇫🇷 France
20–30%
4 Picos de Europa National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
20–30%
5 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
20–30%
6 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
10–20%
7 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
10–20%
8 Awash National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
10–20%
9 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
10 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
11 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
10–20%
12 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
13 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
14 Gates of the Arctic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
15 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
10–20%
16 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
17 Hortobágy National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
10–20%
18 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
19 Cairngorms National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
10–20%
20 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
21 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
10–20%
22 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
23 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
5–10%
24 Sierra Nevada National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
5–10%
25 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
5–10%
26 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
5–10%
27 Kiskunság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
5–10%
28 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
5–10%
29 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
5–10%
30 Doñana National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
5–10%
31 Vatnajokull National Park 🇮🇸 Iceland
5–10%
32 Thingvellir National Park 🇮🇸 Iceland
5–10%
33 Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park 🇲🇳 Mongolia
5–10%
34 Triglav National Park 🇸🇮 Slovenia
5–10%
35 Aberdare National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
5–10%
36 Gauja National Park 🇱🇻 Latvia
<5%
37 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
<5%
38 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
39 Monfragüe National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
40 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
41 Tatra National Park 🇸🇰 Slovakia
<5%
42 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
43 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
44 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
45 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
46 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
<5%
47 Bale Mountains National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
Insufficient data
48 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
49 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
Insufficient data
50 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
51 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
52 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
53 Kluane National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
54 Hemis National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Northern Wheatear in Cairngorms National Park?

About 12% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Wheatear sighting in Cairngorms National Park, based on 296 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Northern Wheatear in Cairngorms National Park?

April has the highest sighting rate for Northern Wheatear in Cairngorms National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Cairngorms National Park