It might not look it, but the Wheatear is a bird of extremes,
As you are reading this, spare a thought for the Wheatear, especially an individual breeding in the far north, perhaps in Sweden or Greenland. At this time of year, if it has young in the nest, its day begins at 3.15am, on average, when it brings in the first snack. The last feed is typically at 10.50pm, nearly 20 hours later.
During such a day, it might bring in 20 feeds an hour if the young are fairly well grown, although only about 10 if they have only just hatched. Nevertheless, if you think you have a strenuous schedule at the moment, it is unlikely to match the efforts of this indefatigable bird.
The Wheatear doesn’t do anything by halves – its astounding migration is proof of this, as we shall see. It also has the distinction of breeding along a greater altitudinal range than any other species in Britain, save a couple of corvids, the Raven and Hooded Crow. It nests on the highest peaks in Scotland and right down at sea level (even slightly below, occasionally) on coastal sand dunes and shingle. Abroad, it has been found nesting at 3,250m in Spain, and 2,900m in Switzerland. It also occupies a remarkably broad latitudinal range, right from the very far north of Norway, Sweden and Iceland, where it is abundant, down into the mountains of southern Spain east to Turkey and Iran. Across the Atlantic, it breeds in Alaska, Canada and Greenland. An individual may sit out a huge storm in the depths of the arctic in April, yet tolerate temperatures of 40°C or more in December in the hottest parts of Africa. The Wheatear embraces remarkable extremes.
Its success is down to its comfort with almost any kind of open habitat, usually with short grass. As soon as the grass is longer, or if there are any trees or bushes, it becomes unsuitable. That still allows for an astonishing range, from fearsome tundra to warm heathland, and even farming areas with Rabbit burrows. Here, the Wheatear primarily feeds on the ground, progressing with something between a hop and a gallop, interspersed with pauses where it looks ahead for invertebrates. It often flicks its wings, presumably to startle prey. It then dashes towards them and grabs whatever it spots – the method is like a Robin on steroids, the Wheatear just being a little more powerful.
It subsists on a wide range of invertebrates, with beetles often predominating, and it can easily cope with centipedes, snails
