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24

Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea) German name(s): "Gebirgsstelze", "Bergstelze" Size: 18-19 cm; wingspan: 25-27 cm Weight: 14-25 g

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Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Grey Wagtails are one of the largest wagtail species. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are different. In addition, male Grey Wagtails have different breeding and non-breeding plumages. Males in breeding plumage have a grey head, nape of the neck and mantle; only the supercilia are white. Their most prominent feature is a large, pitch-black chin patch ("bib"), which is flanked on either side by a white malar stripe. The chest, vent and undertail coverts are bright-yellow. The rump is also bright-yellow; only the belly is paler yellow. Males in eclipse resemble females, but will usually have a grey-streaked bib, whereas females can have a white chin. Female Grey Wagtails have a grey head, nape of the neck and mantle; only the supercilia are off-white to pale-yellow. The throat is whitish, the chest has a pale-yellow tinge, while the belly is off-white again. The vent and undertail coverts are bright-yellow. The rump is pale-yellow. The flight feathers of both sexes are black, with some white edge bars. The uppertail is dark-grey. The irises of both sexes are dark. The straight, slender bill is dark-grey. The short legs and feet are pinkish-grey. Juvenile birds roughly resemble females, but have buff tints on chest and supercilium and have a bill with a pink lower mandible.

Taxonomy, classification See Grey Wagtail at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Grey Wagtail is available HERE . Grey Wagtails have a very wide-ranging distribution, from the Azores in the northern Atlantic in the West to the coastline of the Bering Sea in far-eastern Siberia in the East. Grey Wagtails, nominate race "cinerea", breed in western (including the British Isles), central and southern Europe (all the Mediterranean countries), plus parts of Denmark and the southern Scandinavian coastline. There are also small patches in the western Atlas mountain range and from the coastal regions of Asia Minor into south-western Asia (Iraq, Iran). In summertime they disperse into breeding grounds in eastern Europe, around the Caucasus mountains and into central Asia. They winter in parts of the European Mediterranean coastal areas, the Benelux countries, central Asia Minor, along the northern African coastline, the Middle Eastern Mediterranean coastline and also around the Red Sea, including Arabia. Race "robusta" breeds in Siberia, Korea and Japan, and winters in south-eastern Asia, rarely also in Australia. Other races are mainly found on island groups or are in dispute. Grey Wagtails, nominate race "cinerea", are resident in large parts of Europe, i.e. anywhere to the West of Oder/Neisse in Germany, including the British Isles, and to the South of the Danube and the Bosporus further east. Within this range, if not resident, in some areas they are winter visitors. In the lower Danube valley they are winter visitors while they are sedentary in the Carpathian Mountains. They are breeding migrants to southern Scandinavia and parts of eastern Europe, mostly Poland, and in Scotland. Grey Wagtails are not found in eastern Europe north-eastward of a line connecting roughly the Danube delta with Gdansk, Poland (and continuing into southern Scandinavia).

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "cinerea" J. Pires reports spotting Grey Wagtails, nominate race "cinerea", occasionally in and around Mora, Evora, Portugal. M. Eaton found a Grey Wagtail, race "cinerea", in Split, Croatia, in September 2019. M. Eaton also found Grey Wagtails, race "cinerea", near Wadebridge, Cornwall, England, in September 2019. G. Normand reports finding a Grey Wagtail, race "cinerea", in Parc des Buttes Chaumonts, 19th district, Paris, France, in November 2019. Another was found in Foix, Occitanie, France, in June 2021. H. Dahlem-Senger reports finding a Grey Wagtail, race "cinerea", in the township of Martinsthal, Hessen, Germany, in April 2023. Race "patriciae" J. Pires reports finding Grey Wagtails, race "patriciae", on the Azores in November 2018. Race "robusta" Grey Wagtails, race "robusta", were found by us in Australia.

Photos

Race "cinerea"

ADULT

MALE

BREEDING

Lateral/ventral view of a male Grey Wagtail in almost complete breeding plumage (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Martinsthal, Hessen, Germany, April 2023]

NON-BREEDING

Near-frontal view of a male(?) Grey Wagtail in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Wadebridge, Cornwall, England, September 2019]

Near-frontal view of a male(?) Grey Wagtail in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Wadebridge, Cornwall, England, September 2019]

Lateral view of a male(?) Grey Wagtail in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Wadebridge, Cornwall, England, September 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a male(?) Grey Wagtail in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Wadebridge, Cornwall, England, September 2019]

FEMALE

BREEDING

Near-lateral view of a female Grey Wagtail in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2019]

Near-lateral view of a female Grey Wagtail in breeding plumage carrying plenty of nesting material (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, January 2019]

Lateral view of a female Grey Wagtail in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2017]

Lateral view of a female Grey Wagtail in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Split, Croatia, September 2019]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a female Grey Wagtail in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2019]

NON-BREEDING

Near-frontal view of a female Grey Wagtail in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Wadebridge, Cornwall, England, September 2019]

Near-lateral view of a female Grey Wagtail in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River near Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2019]

Lateral view of a female Grey Wagtail moulting into non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a female Grey Wagtail in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River near Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2019]

Dorsal view of a female Grey Wagtail in non-breeding plumage looking sideways (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, November 2021]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of a first-winter Grey Wagtail - note the mauve chest (photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Parc des Buttes Chaumonts, 19th district, Paris, France, November 2019]

Lateral view of a first-winter Grey Wagtail - note the pink base of the lower mandible (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Wadebridge, Cornwall, England, September 2019]

More photos of Grey Wagtails, race "cinerea", were taken by us in Oman.

Race "patriciae"

ADULT

NON-BREEDING

Sex unknown

Near-frontal view of a Grey Wagtail in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Horta Island, Azores, November 2018]

Near-lateral view of a Grey Wagtail in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Pico Island, Azores, November 2018]

Near-lateral view of a Grey Wagtail in non-breeding plumage with its tail cocked prominently (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Horta Island, Azores, November 2018]

Lateral view of a Grey Wagtail in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sao Jorge Island, Azores, November 2018]

Lateral view of a Grey Wagtail in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sao Jorge Island, Azores, November 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a Grey Wagtail in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Horta Island, Azores, November 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a Grey Wagtail in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Horta Island, Azores, November 2018]

Race "robusta"

Photos of Grey Wagtails, race "robusta", were taken by us in Australia.

Behaviour

We have noticed that Grey Wagtails are not as strong as White Wagtails, leading to them being chased away, if spotted.

Food, Diet

Like all other wagtails known to us, Grey Wagtails are insect hunters. They take their prey from the ground or the surface of fresh water.

Frontal view of a female Grey Wagtail with its prey, a flying insect (photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Foix, Occitanie, France, June 2021]

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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