Few birds are as confusingly named because the three species of wagtails we see usually in Britain. One of the best-named is the Pied Wagtail, the most typical of the trio, for an grownup male in spring plumage is distinctively pied black and white, although juveniles and adults in winter sport plumage that appears decidedly gray. The Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba yarelli – is a UK particular, for it breeds completely within the British Isles. Its continental counterpart, the White Wagtail M.alba, is among the most widespread breeding birds in Europe, for it may be discovered just about in all places, from Arctic Norway all the best way south to the Mediterranean, although curiously it doesn’t breed on the Spanish Balearic Islands, nor Corsica or Sardinia.
Pied Wagtail, yarelli (England, Might). They typically come into gardens
Pied Wagtail, yarelli (England, December)
Pied wagtail, yarelli (England, June)
The White Wagtail isn’t effectively named, for there’s nothing very white about it. It could actually be a lot better named the Gray Wagtail, however we have already got a Gray Wagtail. Presumably the latter was given this identify due to its distinctive gray again. Nevertheless, Gray Wagtails show a particular splash of yellow on the vent all year long, so it will actually be extra acceptable to name them yellow wagtails. The difficulty is that identify is already taken by the Yellow Wagtail, the scarcest of the trio, and a declining summer season customer to Britain. In spring, after they first arrive again from their wintering grounds in sub-Saharan Africa, the breasts of male Yellow Wagtails are a blinding shade of yellow. This fades in the course of the summer season, and by autumn it’s exhausting to see something greater than a pale lemon wash on the underparts, whereas the younger birds present solely the slightest trace of color.
White Wagtail, alba (Greece, December). The gray again is distinctive in all seasons
The Pied is far essentially the most acquainted of the trio, for it’s a widespread hen that usually come into gardens, if to not hen tables. These jaunty wagtails like open areas, for they’re attracted by lawns and golf programs, even roads and roofs, the place they are often seen operating furiously after bugs. They like farmyards, too, with muck heaps offering a favorite feeding floor.
All of the wagtails dwell as much as their identify by wagging their tails nearly regularly, although no one actually is aware of why. Within the autumn it’s common to see flocks of pied wagtails feeding collectively, whereas additionally they wish to roost communally. They’ll collect in favoured timber, typically in metropolis centres, the place as many as 100 birds will cluster collectively, in search of all of the world like Christmas decorations.
My favorite of the wagtails is the Gray, for they’re exceedingly elegant birds, with a distinctly lengthy tail. They’re usually birds of streams and fast-flowing water, although they may wander removed from streams on events. Their name is a particular double observe, similar to that of the Pied Wagtail however higher-pitched. It’s typically the decision that alerts you to their presence, for they invariably name when flying. Apparently, Gray Wagtails was uncommon birds right here in Suffolk, and so they solely began nesting usually within the county in the course of the final century.
Grownup male Gray Wagtail in breeding plumage (England, April). They’re birds that favor fast-flowing streams and rivers, however they’re adaptable and wander in winter
Gray Wagtail in non-breeding plumage (Kefalonia, Greece, October). In autumn the yellow loses its depth, and the black bib offers approach to a white throat
Gray Wagtails have an enormous breeding vary, extending proper throughout Europe and Asia, and even breeding in Northern Japan. I’ve seen flocks of wintering Gray Wagtails in Sri Lanka, and I as soon as noticed a single hen a number of thousand ft up on Mount Kinabalu in Borneo, a well-recognized hen in an unlikely setting.
Yellow Wagtail, flavissima (England, June). This race breeds nearly completely in England and Wales
As soon as a typical hen, the Yellow Wagtail has declined quickly within the UK in recent times, and what was a domestically frequent summer season customer is now a really scarce breeding hen. Their most popular habitat ranges from damp pastures (not one thing now we have a lot of in Suffolk, which is one the driest counties of the British Isles) to marshes, and so they typically feed in affiliation with cattle.
Blue-Headed Yellow Wagtail, flava (Cyprus, March)
There are simply 12 species of wagtails within the World, and all are members of the Motacilla. What each the White/Pied and the Yellow have in frequent is a good number of sub-species: there are 11 recognised sub-species of each wagtails. Right here within the UK now we have our personal subspecies of Yellow Wagtail, Motacilla flava flavissima, which with its yellow head is among the least flashy members of the household. The widespread hen on the continent is M.flava, which we name the Blue-headed Wagtail: people not sometimes over-shoot and switch up in southern England.
Yellow Wagtail, flava, in autumn (Greece). They continuously feed in firm with cattle. Be aware the dearth of color, which is typical of those birds in autumn
Singing Yellow Wagtail, flava (Estonia Might)
Black-headed Yellow Wagtail, feldegg (Bulgaria, April). This distinctive race breeds within the Balkans
White (Masked) Wagtail, personata (Kazakhstan, June)
Lots of the styles of Pied/White Wagtail look distinctive sufficient to recommend they deserve the standing of being a full species. A basic instance is personata, typically known as Masked Wagtail, a typical hen in Kazakhstan, which is the place I photographed the person above. Most taxonomists regard them as merely a sub species of the White Wagtail. Nevertheless, India’s White-browed Wagtail, M.maderaspatensis, is regarded (I feel accurately) as a full species, as is the widespread African Pied Wagtail M.aguimp.
White-browed Wagtail (Central India, March)
Africa has a further two different species of wagtails. The Mountain Wagtail, M.clara, is the African equal of the Gray Wagtail, as it’s a long-tailed hen that likes fast-flowing rivers, whereas the Cape Wagtail, M.capensis, is misleadingly named, because it happens as far north as Kenya, although is commonest and most widespread in South Africa. It seems to be like a shorter-tailed, darker model of the Mountain Wagtail.
Cape Wagtail (South Africa, March)
My most memorable encounters with yellow wagtails have been in spring in Cyprus, the place it’s common to see flocks of fifty or extra birds. Right here a number of completely different races will mingle collectively, although heading again to completely different breeding grounds in Europe and Asia. Essentially the most quite a few on the island is feldegg, simply recognised by the male’s placing black head. Nevertheless, you too can count on to see loads of flava, together with thunbergi (Gray-headed), plus, if you’re fortunate, beama (Syke’s) and even lutea (Yellow-headed). Warning is required with the latter, for it may be confused with Citrine Wagtail, which can also be yellow-headed and an everyday, if unusual, migrant in Cyprus.
Grownup male Citrine Wagtail (Georgia, Might)
Citrine Wagtails had been as soon as exceedingly uncommon guests to the British Isles, however their vary has been transferring steadily westwards in recent times, and consequently they’ve been recorded way more continuously right here. Most sightings are of younger birds within the autumn, however spring data are additionally growing.
Two species of wagtails have a toe-hold in North America – each Yellow and White Wagtails breed in Alaska, and, I consider, the Aleutian Islands. The Yellow is the extra quite a few of the 2: one among my American discipline guides describes it as “quite a few in coastal tundra thickets”. They’re summer season guests there, migrating again to Asia within the winter. Gray (or, in fact Grey) Wagtails are uncommon spring guests to the Bering Sea, making them a tough hen for North American listers to attach with. For the world lister, although, they’re one of many best birds to search out.
Yellow Wagtail, flava (Cyprus, April)