White Wagtail
Motacilla alba
Aves › Passeriformes › Motacillidae › Motacilla
Conservation status: least_concern
This small passerine bird is insectivorous and is often found in open country near habitation and water. It prefers bare areas for feeding, where it can see and pursue its prey.
How To Identify
White Wagtails are medium-sized, slender birds covered almost entirely in bright white plumage. Their most distinguishing feature is the constant, characteristic bobbing and wagging of their tails.
Habitat
It inhabits open and semi-open areas including grasslands, cultivated fields, wetland edges, and urban gardens across Europe, Asia, and North Africa.
Behaviour
White Wagtails are highly insectivorous, often seen running and stopping abruptly on the ground to pounce on prey, and they frequently pump their characteristic long tails up and down.
Did You Know?
White Wagtails are famous for their constant tail-bobbing motion, which may help them spot prey in grass or communicate with other birds. They often follow large animals and humans to catch disturbed insects.
Create a free account to log your sightings of the White Wagtail, see where it has been recorded near you and build your Wild List.
Privacy · Terms · Impressum · Credits · About the beta