Black-eared Wheatears are a rare vagrant to north-west Europe. Two races occur, the Western form O. h. hispanica breeds in the arid rock regions of the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa and winters in West Africa. The Eastern form O. h. melanoleuca breeds in the eastern Mediterreanean and winters in Sudan.

There has been one record in the Bailiwick of a first year bird at Pleinmont on 20 October 1987.