24 |
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White WagtailAlternate name(s): "Pied Wagtail", "Water Wagtail" ![]() Size: 16.5-19 cm; wing span 25-30 cm Weight: 25-30 g |
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Photos |
Race "alba"
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ADULT |
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BREEDING |
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MALE |
Frontal view of a male White Wagtail in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Bergen, Norway, May 2016]
Near-frontal view of a male White Wagtail in breeding
plumage, right,
with a juvenile on the left
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Lake Ros, Masurias, Poland, August 2014]
Near-frontal view of a male White Wagtail in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Lake Ros, Masurias, Poland, June 2015]
Near-lateral view of a male White Wagtail in breeding
plumage; this is
the bird whose
calls were
recorded on 26 March 2017 (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, Masovia, Poland, March 2017]
Near-lateral view of a male White Wagtail in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Lake Ros, Masurias, Poland, June 2015]
Near-lateral/ventral view of a preening male White Wagtail in
breeding plumage
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Lake Ros, Masurias, Poland, June 2015]
Close-up lateral view of a male White Wagtail in breeding
plumage
on the ground (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Santa Justa, Coruche, Portugal, June 2020]
Lateral view of a male White Wagtail in breeding
plumage
on the ground (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Lagoa de Albufeira, near Sesimbra, Setubal, Portugal, February 2020]
Lateral view of a male White Wagtail in breeding
plumage
on the ground (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vilarelhos, Alfandega da Fe, Alto Tras-os-Montes, Norte, Portugal, May 2018]
Lateral view of a male White Wagtail in breeding
plumage
on the ground (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, April 2016]
Near-dorsal view of a male White Wagtail, left, leaving
behind two juveniles, right, to fight over a wasp
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Lake Ros, Masurias, Poland, August 2014]
Dorsal view of a male White Wagtail in breeding
plumage
on the ground
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, April 2016]
Lateral view of a male White Wagtail in breeding
plumage
in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Herdade do Esporao, Reguengos de Monsaraz, Evora, Portugal, January 2023]
Size comparison of a White Wagtail in breeding
plumage
and #3139
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River near Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2019]
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FEMALE |
Close-up near-lateral view of a female White Wagtail; note the
smooth transition from grey to black near the top of the head
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Oslo airport, Oslo, Norway, June 2018]
Lateral view of a female(?) White Wagtail, left, with a juvenile,
right (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Lake Ros, Masurias, Poland, August 2014]
Lateral view of a female White Wagtail
(photo courtesy of S. Cuturilov)
[Ovcarsko-Kablarski Canyon, near Cacak, Serbia, October 2017]
Near-dorsal view of a female White Wagtail in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2019]
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NON-BREEDING |
Frontal view of a White Wagtail in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2019]
Frontal view of a White Wagtail in non-breeding
plumage
looking sideways
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia river, Santa Justa, Coruche, Portugal, November 2021]
Near-lateral view of a White Wagtail in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, October 2021]
Close-up lateral view of a White Wagtail in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Alhos Vedros, Moita, Tejo estuary, Portugal, January 2020]
Lateral view of a White Wagtail in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, October 2019]
Lateral view of a White Wagtail in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
Near-dorsal view of a White Wagtail in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Alhos Vedros, Moita, Tejo estuary, Portugal, January 2020]
Near-dorsal view of a White Wagtail in non-breeding
plumage
with its tail prominently cocked
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2019]
Near-dorsal view of a White Wagtail in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, October 2020]
Near-dorsal view of a White Wagtail in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, April 2016]
Near-dorsal view of a White Wagtail in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Oslo airport, Oslo, Norway, June 2018]
Dorsal view of a White Wagtail in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, November 2021]
Dorsal view of a White Wagtail in non-breeding
plumage
looking sideways (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, April 2016]
Dorsal view of a White Wagtail in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Alhos Vedros, Moita, Tejo estuary, Portugal, January 2020]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Frontal view of a juvenile White Wagtail
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Lake Ros, Masurias, Poland, August 2014]
Frontal view of a juvenile White Wagtail spreading its wings
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2019]
Near-frontal view of a juvenile White Wagtail
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Lake Ros, Masurias, Poland, August 2014]
Near-frontal view of a resting juvenile White Wagtail
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Lake Ros, Masurias, Poland, August 2014]
Near-lateral view of a juvenile White Wagtail
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Lake Ros, Masurias, Poland, August 2014]
Near-lateral view of a juvenile White Wagtail
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Lake Ros, Masurias, Poland, August 2014]
Lateral view of a juvenile White Wagtail; note the buff wash
on the ear coverts (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2018]
Lateral view of a juvenile White Wagtail taking off
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, July 2019]
Near-dorsal view of a juvenile White Wagtail
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, August 2019]
Race "yarrellii"
This race is also called the "Pied Wagtail".
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ADULT |
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MALE |
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BREEDING |
Near-lateral view of a male White Wagtail in breeding
plumage;
note the very dark appearance of race "yarrellii"
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, February 2023]
Lateral view of a male White Wagtail in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2023]
Near-dorsal view of a male White Wagtail in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, February 2023]
Sex unknown |
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NON-BREEDING |
Frontal view of a White Wagtail in non-breeding
plumage
on the ground (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, January 2020]
Lateral view of a White Wagtail in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Land's End, Cornwall, England, September 2019]
Lateral view of a White Wagtail in non-breeding
plumage
on the ground (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2020]
Lateral view of a White Wagtail in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, December 2019]
Lateral view of a White Wagtail in non-breeding
plumage
on the ground (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, January 2020]
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Food, Diet |
Like all Motacilla wagtails known to us, White Wagtails are insectivores.
Lateral view of a White Wagtail with its catch, a caterpillar
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, December 2019]
Lateral view of a juvenile White Wagtail with prey, a flying insect
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Evora, Portugal, July 2019]
Near-lateral view of a male White Wagtail with food for its brood
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River near Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]
Near-dorsal view of a White Wagtail in non-breeding
plumage
with its prey, a flying insect
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, October 2020]
Near-dorsal view of a White Wagtail with its prey, a spider
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Divor river, Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2021]
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Call(s)/Song |
For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own;
comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.
whitwag_dw_20190407.m4a | alba (Poland) | Contact call(?) | © DW | |
whitwag_jp_20200117.m4a | alba (Portugal) | Contact calls(?) | © JP | |
whitwag_dw_20190715.m4a | alba (Poland) | Contact calls(?) | © DW | |
whitwag_dw_20190715_2.m4a | alba (Poland) | Contact calls(?) | © DW | |
whitwag_dw_20170326.m4a | alba (Poland) | Contact calls(?); male | © DW | |
whitwag_dw_20200726.m4a | alba (Poland) | Alarm calls (cat) | © DW |
More White Wagtail sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.