You don"t need to be a bird expert to notice the wheatear darting across open ground. These ground-dwelling songbirds are known for their upright posture and habit of hopping or sprinting between perches. Despite the name, wheatears have nothing to do with wheat or ears—the name is a twist on the old phrase "white arse," pointing to the bird"s distinctive white rump found in most species. The northern wheatear weighs less than an ounce, but travels thousands of miles between its summer homes in Alaska and northern Canada to its wintering grounds in Africa. Its migration route is one of the longest for a bird its size. Unlike many backyard songbirds, wheatears prefer wide-open spaces with low vegetation, where they can sprint and pounce on insects. And while most North American birders might only catch them in the far north, wheatears are widespread across Europe, Asia, and Africa.
A wheatear in Peak District National Park, England
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Legacy mural in Philadelphia
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Noctilucent clouds
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Toledo, Spain
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Take the Stairs Day
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The Battle of the Bulge 75 years later
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The moth wonderful time of the year
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Pride 2022
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National Park Week continues
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Composite of photographs from the Apollo 15 mission
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Bioluminescence at Trwyn Du Lighthouse in Wales
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Chapel on the rock
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Midnight sun
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A walk among the giants
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Mercury in retrograde
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Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
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Christmas market at Belvedere Palace in Vienna
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Schönbrunn Palace Park, Vienna, Austria
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A day to celebrate the sun
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Arctic fox in Norway
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Aït Benhaddou, Morocco
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Uncommon clouds are gathering
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Brown bears in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska
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How Quảng Ngãi got its grove back
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Raise your hand for Teacher Appreciation Day
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Daylight saving time begins
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A theatrical dream
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World Teachers Day
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International Cheetah Day
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International Dark Sky Week
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Pamukkale, Turkey
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

