What kind of bird is a wagtail?

What is the scientific name for wagtail?

For the content management system, see Wagtail (CMS). Wagtails are a group of passerine birds that form the genus Motacilla in the family Motacillidae. The forest wagtail belongs to the monotypic genus Dendronanthus which is closely related to Motacilla and sometimes included therein.

What is a white wagtail?

The White Wagtail is a small bird found throughout Europe and Asia, as well as part of north Africa. Most populations are permanent residents, but northern birds will migrate to Africa in winter months. The preferred habitat of this bird includes open country near bodies of water.

Is the pied wagtail a British bird?

The pied wagtail is almost, but not quite, an exclusively British bird. Some pied wagtails also nest on the adjoining coasts of France and Holland. On the Continent the white wagtail replaces the pied.

What does a wagtail bird look like?

Some species are black, white and grey, while others have much yellow in their plumage. The grey wagtail is more colourful than its name suggests with slate grey upper parts and distinctive lemon yellow under-tail.

How did the willie wagtail get its name?

The common name and genus names are derived from their characteristic tail pumping behaviour. Together with the pipits and longclaws they form the family Motacillidae. The willie wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys) of Australia is an unrelated bird similar in coloration and shape to the Japanese wagtail. It belongs to the fantails.

Did you know wagtail birds live in the UK?

The other two breeding species of wagtail in the UK both have yellow underparts. Widespread. Did you know? Although they usually live life in the fast lane, the maximum recorded age for a pied wagtail is 11 years and 3 months. Whether you live in town or country, you can help to look after garden birds by providing food and water for them.

What is a white wagtail bird called?

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”.

What does the white wagtail bird eat?

The white wagtail is an insectivorous bird of 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.

Is this a pied wagtail or a white wagtail?

This is a Pied Wagtail – which means that it is also a White Wagtail! ;o) Pied Wagtails ( Motacilla alba yarrellii ) and continental White Wagtails ( Motacilla alba alba) are two different subspecies of the same species – which confusingly is known as “White Wagtail” ( Motacilla alba ).

What is a wagtail bird?

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. It is the national bird of Latvia and has featured on the stamps of several countries.

What is a yellow wagtail?

The yellow wagtail is a small graceful yellow and green bird, with a medium-length tail, and slender black legs.

What kind of bird has a wagging tail?

Pied Wagtail. The Pied Wagtail is a familiar bird across town and countryside. Its black-and-white markings and long, wagging tail make it easy to identify as it hops across the road or lawn.

What is the difference between male and female wagtail birds?

Male: Small black and white bird with a wagging long tail. Female: Like the male but greyer. The Pied Wagtail is a small black and white (pied) bird with a long tail that is sometimes mistaken to be a young

What is a pied wagtail bird?

Bird family: Pipits and wagtails Your browser does not support this audio feature. The pied wagtail is a delightful small, long-tailed and rather sprightly black and white bird. When not standing and frantically wagging its tail up and down it can be seen dashing about over lawns or car parks in search of food.

Are there any wagtail birds in the UK?

The population has declined in the past 25 years in central and southern England. The water pipit is a large and stocky pipit. It is greyish-brown above and pale below with streaks on its breast. The yellow wagtail is a small graceful yellow and green bird, with a medium-length tail, and slender black legs.

What is the difference between a grey wagtail and a wag tail?

Wagtails are similar in form but even longer-tailed, most species more or less associated with watery habitats. Some species are black, white and grey, while others have much yellow in their plumage. The grey wagtail is more colourful than its name suggests with slate grey upper parts and distinctive lemon yellow under-tail.

What does a yellow wagtail bird look like?

Key information. The yellow wagtail is a small, graceful, yellow and green bird, with a medium-length tail and slender black legs.

What is a pied wagtail and what does it look like?

What is the Pied Wagtail and what do they look like? Pied Wagtails, or scientifically called Motacilla alba, can be identified by their familiar white and grey patches on their tummies, face and on the bars of the wings, as well as the black colour along its back, neck, bars of the wings and covers the tail.

Where does the willy wagtail live?

Jump to navigation Jump to search. The willie (or willy) wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys) is a passerine bird native to Australia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, the Bismarck Archipelago, and Eastern Indonesia. It is a common and familiar bird throughout much of its range, living in most habitats apart from thick forest.

How did the wagtail get its name?

The name wagtail stems from the constant sideways wagging of the tail. Young birds resemble the adults, but have paler, slightly rusty edges to the feathers of the wings. The Willie Wagtail is found throughout mainland Australia but is absent from Tasmania.

What kind of bird is a willie wagtail?

The Willie Wagtail is the largest, and most well-known, of the Australian fantails. The plumage is black above with a white belly. The Willie Wagtail can be distinguished from other similar-sized black and white birds by its black throat and white eyebrows and whisker marks.

Why do Willie Wag tails wag their tails?

It wags its tail in a horizontal fashion while foraging in this manner; the exact purpose of this behaviour is unknown but is thought to help flush out insects hidden in vegetation and hence make them easier to catch. The willie wagtail takes ticks from the skin of grazing animals such as cattle or pigs, even from lions asleep in a zoo.

Is the grey wagtail on the Red List?

Classified in the UK as Red under the Birds of Conservation Concern 4: the Red List for Birds (2015). The grey wagtail is a common bird of fast-flowing rivers and can be found in high densities in the hills of England, Scotland and Wales. In winter, they move to lowland areas and can be spotted in farmyards and even in towns.

How old is a pied wagtail bird?

Widespread. Did you know? Although they usually live life in the fast lane, the maximum recorded age for a pied wagtail is 11 years and 3 months. Whether you live in town or country, you can help to look after garden birds by providing food and water for them.

What kind of bird is a grey wagtail?

Grey Wagtail. Scientific name: Motacilla cinerea. A breeding bird of fast-flowing, upland rivers, the Grey Wagtail can also be seen in lowland areas, farmyards and even towns in winter.

Where do wagtails live in the UK?

The grey wagtail is a common bird of fast-flowing rivers and can be found in high densities in the hills of England, Scotland and Wales. In winter, they move to lowland areas and can be spotted in farmyards and even in towns.

What is the IUCN classification of a wagtail?

Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable. The Latin genus name of the White wagtail originally meant “little mover”, but certain medieval writers thought it meant “wag-tail”, giving rise to a new Latin word ‘cilla’ for ‘tail’.