Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Gray Wagtail is a slender bird of rocky streams and an uncommon visitor to the United States. It constantly bobs its long tail and has a gray back above a bright yellow belly.

Appearance

Appearance: This slender bird is about 7.9 in (20 cm) long, with a very long black-and-white tail, gray head and back, pale eyebrow, and yellow belly and undertail. A breeding male has a black throat.
Voice: Calls include a short high note and a buzzier call in flight.

Look-alikes

Eastern Yellow WagtailMotacilla tschutschensis

Eastern Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla tschutschensis) has a shorter tail and a grayish-olive back and usually stands in open grassy or tundra habitat. Grey Wagtail has a much longer tail, a clean gray back, and is strongly tied to rocky flowing water.

Why they get mixed upBoth can show a gray head, yellow underparts, and a black tail with white outer feathers in Alaska.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: rocky streams
riverbanks
pond and lake edges
Range: Its normal range spans Europe, Asia, and parts of North Africa. In the United States it is a to Alaska rather than a regular breeding bird.
Seasonal presence: Most populations stay year-round or migrate short distances within Europe, Asia, and parts of North Africa; U.S. birds are .
Preferred conditions: It favors flowing water with exposed rocks or similar hard surfaces nearby.

Behavior

Diet: It catches aquatic and land insects and other small animals without backbones along the water's edge.
Activity: It walks quietly along shorelines, constantly pumping its long tail, and sometimes catches insects in the air.

Life cycle

Nest: Across its breeding range, it nests in a cavity or sheltered ledge near water, including gaps in rocks and structures.
Clutch size: Usually 5 eggs in Britain
Incubation: Usually 12–13 days in Britain

Name and classification

About the name: Western birds and those on the Azores and Madeira are treated as different . The name is also spelled Grey Wagtail.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction

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