Page 289 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

PIPITS AND WAGTAILS
Order Passeriformes Family Motacillidae Species Motacilla cinerea
Grey Wagtail greenish rump white
throat

greenish brown-black yellowest
yellow wings grey above under tail FEMALE
rump (SUMMER)
buffish
below
long, broad
white stripe yellow
along wings under mid-grey upperparts, white stripe
long tail from cap to back over eye
MALE (SUMMER)
IN FLIGHT JUVENILE
black chin
(pale in
winter)

very long, white- brightest yellow
edged black tail under tail yellow underparts,
whiter on sides
(less yellow in
winter)
FLIGHT: fast, bounding, undulating, with flurries
of wingbeats; very long tail obvious.
MALE
he slimmest of the wagtails, this one also has the (SUMMER)
Tlongest tail.It can have much yellow in its plumage
and can be confused with the Yellow Wagtail; it may
also be mistaken for the Pied Wagtail which often
inhabits the same areas of clear, fast-flowing, rocky
streams in summer and shallow pools in winter, and
has a similar call. In winter, the Grey Wagtail may feed
on almost any puddle, even on a flat rooftop in a city
centre or at a garden pond.Visits to such places by this
shy bird are invariably short but revealed by its calls.
VOICE Sharp, explosive, metallic tchik or zi, or zi-zi;
song penetrating, metallic, sharp trills and warbles.
NESTING Grassy cup in hole in bank, wall, tree roots,
or under bridge; 4–6 eggs; 2 broods;April–August. SUBTLE BEAUTY
FEEDING Catches flies and small invertebrates on Even a female or young Grey Wagtail has a lovely combination of smoky
ground or in air; quite active, bouncy feeder. grey, buff, yellow, white, and black.
SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRENCE
Widespread breeder north to Great
YELLOW WAGTAIL PIED WAGTAIL 32; Britain, Ireland, and S Scandinavia,
32 summer; see p.285
see p.286 along clean, often tree-lined rivers
or more open upland streams.
black legs Very widespread near water in
shorter no yellow winter, briefly at puddles in towns
tail under tail and cities.
Seen in the UK
J F M A M JJ A S O N D
Length 18–19cm (7–7 1 ⁄2in) Wingspan 25–27cm (10–10 1 ⁄2in) Weight 15–23g ( 9 ⁄16 – 13 ⁄16oz)
Social Family groups Lifespan Up to 5 years Status Secure†
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