wheatear
noun
wheat·ear
ˈ(h)wēt-ˌir 
: any of various small Old World flycatchers (genus Oenanthe)
especially
: a white-rumped one (O. oenanthe) of northern North America and the Old World
Examples of wheatear in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Like the golden plover, like the little wheatear, Winn and Moth push on, from the far north of the island all the way home.
—
Laurie Hertzel, Washington Post, 30 Aug. 2023
In a study published in 2020, the researchers had taken blood samples from northern wheatears, which are long-distance migrants, captured during their stopover at a long-term bird monitoring station on the German island of Heligoland in the North Sea.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 17 Apr. 2023
Even more amazing, geologgers show that another small songbird, the northern wheatear, migrates from North America to sub-Saharan Africa.
—Tom Langen, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Sep. 2022
The bird of last week was undoubtedly a northern wheatear that spent the better part of late Tuesday afternoon actively foraging in a backyard near a marsh beside Water Street in Yarmouth.
—BostonGlobe.com, 25 Sep. 2021
Why do wheatears and other migrating birds wait until night to fly?
—Anchorage Daily News, 10 Aug. 2019
Northern wheatears are robin-size songbirds with tan bodies and handsome black eye bands.
—Anchorage Daily News, 10 Aug. 2019
Another German scientist in 2010 studied the wheatears now staging in Wales.
—Anchorage Daily News, 10 Aug. 2019
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Laurie Hertzel, Washington Post, 30 Aug. 2023
In a study published in 2020, the researchers had taken blood samples from northern wheatears, which are long-distance migrants, captured during their stopover at a long-term bird monitoring station on the German island of Heligoland in the North Sea.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 17 Apr. 2023
Even more amazing, geologgers show that another small songbird, the northern wheatear, migrates from North America to sub-Saharan Africa.
—Tom Langen, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Sep. 2022
The bird of last week was undoubtedly a northern wheatear that spent the better part of late Tuesday afternoon actively foraging in a backyard near a marsh beside Water Street in Yarmouth.
—BostonGlobe.com, 25 Sep. 2021
Why do wheatears and other migrating birds wait until night to fly?
—Anchorage Daily News, 10 Aug. 2019
Northern wheatears are robin-size songbirds with tan bodies and handsome black eye bands.
—Anchorage Daily News, 10 Aug. 2019
Another German scientist in 2010 studied the wheatears now staging in Wales.
—Anchorage Daily News, 10 Aug. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Wheatear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wheatear. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share