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Grey Wagtail
(Motacilla cinerea)
Size: 18-19 cm;
wingspan: 25-27 cm
Weight: 14-25 g
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Similar
species |
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Physical description |
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 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.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Grey
Wagtail at Wikipedia  .
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Range, habitat |
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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
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The global distribution of the Grey Wagtail is available
HERE
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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.
During the winters or migration, nominate race
"cinerea"
is found in parts of Arabia, always near water - near the coastline,
but also along streams in hills and mountainous regions.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
Race "cinerea"
Grey Wagtails, race
"patriciae",
were spotted on the Azores, which belong to Portugal.
Race "robusta"
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Photos |
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Race "cinerea"
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ADULT |
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FEMALE |
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Frontal view of a female Grey Wagtail
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, October 2009]
Lateral view of a female Grey Wagtail; note the absence of
white tips on the wing feathers, which is characteristic
of this species and the all dark-grey bill, which indicates
that this is not an immature bird; a male in non-breeding
plumage
would have a greyish-streaked chin patch
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, December 2009]
Lateral view of a female Grey Wagtail
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, October 2009]
Near-dorsal view showing clearly a Grey Wagtail's bright-yellow vent
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, October 2009]
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Additional information |
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More photos of Grey Wagtails, race
"cinerea",
were taken by us in
Europe.
Race "patriciae"
Photos of Grey Wagtails, race
"patriciae",
were taken on the Azores, which belong to Portugal.
Race "robusta"
Photos of Grey Wagtails, race
"robusta",
were taken by us in
Australia.
We have noticed that Grey Wagtails are not as strong as
White Wagtails,
leading to them being chased away, if spotted.
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Food, Diet |
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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.
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.
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Call/s
