Northern wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe) are insectivorous songbirds that breed in northern Eurasia, northeastern Canada, and Alaska.  But no matter where they breed they go home to Africa for the winter.

Research using geolocators has found that they make longer journeys than they need to because they’re so committed to their African home.  Those that breed in Alaska travel 9,000 miles.

All About Birds illustrated this amazing migration in the map linked below.  Wheatears from the Canadian Arctic cross the North Atlantic to the U.K, then down the coast via the Azores to western Africa.  Those that breed in Alaska cross the Bering Strait and head east across Siberia, south to Kazakhstan and finally to eastern Africa.

Read more about their fascinating travels and how they fuel up to make the journey in the All About Birds blog:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/for-migration-northern-wheatears-go-the-distance-and-pack-accordingly/

If you see a northern wheatear in the Lower 48 States you are really lucky!

Typo Correction, 1:30pm: I mixed up east and west in Africa. Fortunately the birds know where they’re going.

(northern wheatear photo from Wikimedia Commons, map linked from All About Birds. Click on the images to see the originals in context.)