White-crowned Wheatear

Seen one? Add it to your free UK BirdedexHear its song and see the mapFree, no app download. Legendary bird: +50 points when you log it.

Habitat and behaviour

Habitat: Coast (extreme vagrant).
Diet: Insects.
Best time to spot: Desert bird; black with a white crown.

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 White-crowned Wheatear sits in our Legendary tier for the UK: a major rarity, where any record is big news. It is not on the Red or Amber lists in Birds of Conservation Concern 5.

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• Black WheatearLegendary · Rocky areas (extreme vagrant)
• Cyprus Pied WheatearLegendary · Stony ground (extreme vagrant)
• Western Black-eared WheatearLegendary · Coast (very rare)
• Desert WheatearRare · Coastal turf (vagrant)
• Black-eared WheatearEpic · Stony Med hillsides
• Isabelline WheatearEpic · Coastal turf (very rare)

Kit that helps

Best spotting scopes for UK birding. Affiliate links, our own picks, no extra cost to you.