White Wagtail

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.

White wagtails breed throughout Eurasia, only being absent in the Arctic. They also breed in the mountains of Morocco and western Alaska. These birds are residents in the milder parts of their range such as western Europe and the Mediterranean, but migratory in much of the rest of their range. Northern European breeders winter around the Mediterranean and in tropical and subtropical Africa, and Asiatic birds move to the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia. Birds from the North American population also winter in tropical Asia. White wagtails occupy a wide range of habitats but are absent from deserts. They inhabit grasslands, seashores, rocky shorelines, sand beaches, tidepools, rivers, lakeshores, farmland, gardens, and parks. They are also often found in towns and villages.

White wagtails are usually seen alone or in pairs, but during migration, they often gather in flocks at good feeding areas or roost at night. These birds feed by day on the ground or on the wing. They may also forage in shallow water catching prey in the mud or may hover over water. The most conspicuous habit of White wagtails is a near-constant tail wagging, a trait that has given the birds their common name. The reasons for this behavior are poorly understood but it has been suggested that wagtails may flush prey, or signal submissiveness to other wagtails. The call of these birds is a sharp 'chisick' and their song consists of twittering phrases; the males use a series of contact calls to attract the female.

White wagtails are carnivores (insectivores). Terrestrial and aquatic insects and other small invertebrates form the major part of their diet. These include beetles, dragonflies, small snails, spiders, worms, crustaceans, maggots found in carcasses, and, most importantly, flies.

White wagtails are monogamous; they form pairs and defend their breeding territories. The breeding season for most is from April to August, with the season starting later further north. Both sexes build the nest; the male initiates the nest building and the female finishes the process. The nest is a rough cup assembled from twigs, grass, leaves, and other plant matter. It is lined with soft materials, including animal hair. The nest is set into a crevice or hole - traditionally in a bank next to a river or ditch - but White wagtails have also adapted to nesting in walls, bridges, and buildings. The female lays 3 to 8 cream-colored eggs, often with a faint bluish-green or turquoise tint, and heavily spotted with reddish-brown. Both parents incubate the eggs, although the female generally does so for longer and incubates at night. The eggs begin to hatch after 12-16 days. Both parents feed the chicks until they fledge after between 12 and 15 days, and then continue to feed them for another week after fledging.

White wagtails are widespread throughout their range and are not endangered at present. However, they are caught for sport and often then placed into collections. They are also kept as pets and eaten as food. Climate change may also affect the time of their migration.

According to the IUCN Red List, the total White wagtail population size is 135,000,000-221,000,000 mature individuals. In Europe, the breeding population consists of 16.9-27.6 million pairs, which equates to 33.9-55.2 million mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.

Fun Fact

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'. The specific name 'alba' is Latin for 'white'.

White wagtails belong to the family of small passerine birds which also includes pipits and longclaws.

When White wagtails forage, they often catch their prey by running and picking them and may also jump into the air to grab a flying insect.

During the breeding season, White wagtails become very aggressive towards other birds or intruders and won't hesitate to chase even larger birds from their territory.

During the mating season, male White wagtails perform various courtship displays in order to attract the female; they will perform aerial displays, sing to the female and even feed her, including during the nesting period when she is on the nest.

White wagtails are so popular throughout their range that they have featured on stamps from various countries including Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Finland, Georgia, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Jersey, Kuwait, Latvia, Norway, Vietnam, and Poland.