At one time a real rarity, from about 1990 they have gradually become more regular and are now annual. Breeding in south and east Europe and Asia, their range seems
to be moving west. They winter from Northeast Africa to India, and I have seen them in seven countries apart from the UK. It is likely that some birds are overlooked given the
similarity to some plumages of Northern Wheatear, but given good views, there are a number of distinguishing features. The recent bird at Winterton was my first in the UK for over forty years!, but true to form, it showed well.
