Wheatear

"Oenanthe oenanthe

The Wheatear is a passerine bird mainly ground dwelling and hops or runs.The beautiful male is blue/grey above and white below with orange on its breast and has black wings and black cheeks.

It is 14 to 15cm in length

It has a wingspan of 26 to 32cm

It weighs in at between 17 and 30g.

There are an estimated 240,000 pairs breeding in the uk. They eat insects and larvae.

They can be seen between March and October on upland heath and moors.

Their average lifespan is just 2 years.

Wheatear