The Wheatear {Saxicola oenanthe) 



Length : 5>4 inches. 



The Wheatear is a remarkable bird because of its extensive distribution. 

 Abundant in both Europe and Asia, it migrates in winter to northern Africa 

 and India. It is also quite common in Greenland, and is found in Labrador. 

 From there it straggles southward to Xova Scotia, and along the Atlantic coast 

 as far as the Bermudas. On the western coast of .\merica it is only found in 

 Alaska. Here its visits are seasonal, and in its migrations it must fly across 

 Bering's Strait and southward through Asia, as it has never been observed in 

 British Columbia, or southward along the Pacific coast. The range of this bird 

 extends nearly around the world, and from far within the Arctic circle to the 

 torrid climes of the equator. 



A few of these birds seem to winter in the Ih-itish Islands, but the majority, 

 ha\ing passed the season of severe weather in more southern regions, return 

 to the coast of England early in the spring. They soon leave the rocky shores 

 and tly to the downs and fallow lands. When crossing the water, the W'heatears, 

 in an apparently exhausted condition, often alight u])on vessels. 



The Wheatear is an acti\e bird, always alert, and is usually in motion. On 

 the ground, and it is decidedly a terrestrial species, it hops rapidly, constantly 

 jerking its tail. When disturbed, it utters a cry like "the syllables peep, chack, 

 chack." For this reason and on account of its predilection for stony places, it 

 is named in most parts of Scotland the ''Stanchack." Because of the white plum- 

 age on the rump of the \\'heatear it is often called White-rump or White-rumped 

 Stonechat. It is a shy bird, and its favorite resorts are lonely meadows and 

 fallow-lands and other localities little frequented by disturbing creatures. In 

 such places it can easily retreat to the friendly cover of a clot of earth or a stone 

 pile when danger is near. 



The male AMieatear has a sweet and lively song, and it is said to be quite 

 successful in its efforts to imitate the notes of other birds. Seebohm says : 'The 

 love notes form a short but pleasing song, and the more particularly are we apt 

 to view his performance with favor, because it generally greets the ear in wild 

 and lonely places. * " Sometimes he war1)les his notes on his perch, ac- 

 companying them with graceful motion of the wings, and finally launching into- 

 the air to complete his song, the aerial fluttering seeming to give the i:)erformance 

 additional vigor." It is said that the ^^'heatear in confinement will sinir continu- 

 ally and far into the night. 



The nests of the AMieatear are usually placed in wild localities, and are 

 well protected by their natural surroundings. The deep recesses of sea coast 

 rocks and the crevices of old stone walls are favorite nesting sites. Xot infre- 

 quently its home is built in the loose piles of stones found in abandoned gravel 

 pits. Yarrell writes of one Wheatear that had nested in a bank behind a pile 

 of stones. To reach this spot the bird passed through the "interstices of some 



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