Are White wagtails rare in UK?

What kind of wagtail is black and white?

In Britain, we see several different kinds of wagtails with the commonest being the pied wagtail which is a black and white bird. In winter both male and female have a crescent-shaped black patch on the breast, black on the top of the head, a white throat and a grey back. In summer, however, the back and throat of the male become black.

Are white wagtails under-recorded in Britain?

One ringing site in Wiltshire (a sewage works) has a 3:1 ratio pied to white. It is a lot easier to tell them apart in the hand. Hi- reference Simon Tucker’s post – in autumn white wagtails pass through Britain in varying numbers ( some autumns better than others) and are definitely under-recorded/ overlooked as noted by the ringing data above

What is a white-browed wagtail?

The white-browed wagtail or large pied wagtail ( Motacilla maderaspatensis) is a medium-sized bird and is the largest member of the wagtail family. They are conspicuously patterned with black above and white below, a prominent white brow, shoulder stripe and outer tail feathers.

When do wagtails come to the UK?

White Wagtail is a passage migrant through Britain from early March to May and from mid-August to early November. Most we receive are from the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Iceland – indeed, it’s likely that the entire populations of these birds pass through Britain and Ireland.

What does a wagtail bird eat?

The White wagtail is a small insectivorous bird of the open country, often near habitation and water. It prefers bare areas for feeding, where it can see and pursue its prey. In urban areas, it has adapted to foraging on paved areas such as car parks.

What kind of plumage does a wagtail have?

Distinctive but variable: all plumages are some bold combination of black, white, and gray. Shows considerable variation in plumage across the world, but never has a clear, thin and contrasting eye-brow like White-browed or Japanese Wagtail.

What is a large pied wagtail bird?

The White-browed Wagtail or Large Pied Wagtail ( Motacilla maderaspatensis) is a medium-sized bird and is the largest member of the wagtail family. They are conspicuously patterned with black above and white below, a prominent white brow, shoulder stripe and outer tail feathers.

When do yellow wagtails come to the UK?

Yellow wagtails are summer visitors to the UK, arriving in April and leaving in September or October. They are uncommon visitors to gardens, preferring to nest in arable fields or damp grassland grazed by livestock.

Where do wagtails go in the winter?

Summer visitors (not resident varieties) to the UK spend their winters in the Africa. As is normal for wagtails, Grey wagtails have a tendency to move their tails from left to right.

When do wagtails nest in the UK?

Each pair of wagtails will usually try and nest two or three times during the summer. Though the pied wagtails in southern Britain are largely sedentary, northern populations migrate considerable distances. At migration watch points in Britain there is a pronounced spring and autumn passage of wagtails.

What does a pied wagtail nest look like?

The nest is cup-shaped and made from grass and moss. They lay 3-7 pale grey eggs with darker spots. Both male and female pied wagtails incubate the eggs for 12-14 days and the chicks fledge at 13-16 days.

What is the genus name of a wagtail?

The genus Motacilla was introduced by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. The type species is the white wagtail. Motacilla is the Latin name for the pied wagtail; although actually a diminutive of motare, “to move about”, from medieval times it led to the misunderstanding of cilla as “tail”.

Do pied wagtails migrate?

Do Pied Wagtails migrate? They typically stay in the UK. Those that live in the northern parts of the UK often migrate south of the UK in the winter, but they can go as far as North of Africa to avoid the cold months. They usually flock together.

What is a yellow wagtail bird?

The yellow wagtail is a small, graceful, yellow and green bird, with a medium-length tail and slender black legs. It spends much time walking or running on the ground.

What does a wagtail bird nest look like?

Pied wagtails build their nests under roof tiles, in walls and buildings or beneath stones. The nest is cup-shaped and made from grass and moss. They lay 3-7 pale grey eggs with darker spots.

Where do pied wagtails nest?

In areas where Pied Wagtails are common, you can often hear them calling as they fly over favourite hunting grounds to check if there is already a Pied Wagtail feeding there. Pied Wagtails build their nest in holes in walls, buildings, or old nests of larger birds. Grass and mosses are used to construct the small cup-shaped nest.

What kind of bird has a wag tail?

They are small birds with long tails which they wag frequently. Motacilla, the root of the family and genus name, means moving tail. The Forest Wagtail belongs to the monotypic genus Dendronanthus which is closely related to Motacilla and sometimes included herein.

How often do pied wagtails nest?

Numbers of pied wagtails in Britain are on the increase. Each pair of wagtails will usually try and nest two or three times during the summer. Though the pied wagtails in southern Britain are largely sedentary, northern populations migrate considerable distances.

What is the habitat of the western yellow wagtail?

The Western Yellow Wagtail is a majestic and small passerine bird species inhabiting favouring wet meadows, marshland, grassy and muddy lakeshores. It is interesting to note that Western yellow wagtail forms large night-time roosts in trees and tall grass in swamps.

How many eggs does a pied wagtail lay?

They lay 3-7 pale grey eggs with darker spots. Both male and female pied wagtails incubate the eggs for 12-14 days and the chicks fledge at 13-16 days.

What do pied wagtails do in the winter?

During the winter, pied wagtails form large roosts at night to keep warm. There is safety in numbers and there have been roosts as large as 4000 individuals recorded. In the countryside, the birds will often roost in reed beds where they are safe from predators.