Good wheatear news from Texel island

This is a northern wheatear video.

Translated from Ecomare museum on Texel island in the Netherlands:

29-09-14

In the Eierland Dunes on Texel this year, more than twice as many territories of northern wheatears have been counted than in other years: 26! Last year about 12 were found in the same area. Bird counters assume that each territory represents a nest. 26 wheatear territories is very good news, because this bird has had hard times in recent years. Their numbers have declined sharply in most parts of the Netherlands. Only between Callantsoog and Terschelling things are not so bad.

Which species of North American songbird is widespread enough that it’s found on both eastern and western sides of the continent but is still a rare treat for most birdwatchers? And proportional to its body size, which songbird regularly migrates farther than the globe-trotting Arctic Tern? The answer is: Northern Wheatear, the only North American representative of a widespread Old World genus in the thrush family: here.

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