Pied Wheatear

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Habitat and behaviour

Habitat: Coastal turf (very rare).
Diet: Insects.
Best time to spot: Male's black throat.

When to look

A rare visitor, not a resident. There is no dependable season, though most rarities are found during spring and autumn migration. More on the season in Rare birds in the UK.

How rare is it?

The Pied Wheatear sits in our Epic tier for the UK: a scarce visitor, recorded in small numbers in most years. It is not on the Red or Amber lists in Birds of Conservation Concern 5.

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• Isabelline WheatearEpic · Coastal turf (very rare)
• Desert WheatearRare · Coastal turf (vagrant)
• Western Black-eared WheatearLegendary · Coast (very rare)
• Northern WheatearUncommon · Open uplands
• Black-eared WheatearEpic · Stony Med hillsides
• Black WheatearLegendary · Rocky areas (extreme vagrant)

Kit that helps

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