There are 3 species of British Wagtails. The White Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, and Yellow Wagtail. In this bird identification guide, we explore each species including tips to ID the birds in the field and a brief overview of habitat.
Pied Wagtail / White Wagtail
Family: Motacillidae
The Pied Wagtail is also called the White Wagtail (Motacilla alba). It’s also the most easily recognizable bird in this line-up and the most common of the three species of bird from a UK viewpoint. Climate change is thought to have helped Pied Wagtails and their populations have steadily increased.
The White Wagtail can be found across the entirety of the British Isles including higher ground in the warmer months. They can be found in pretty much any environment including urban areas. If you live in the city, you may be lucky enough to see flocks of Pied Wagtails during the winter as they take advantage of inner-city warmer air temperatures.
White Wagtails are monochromatic consisting of the colors black, white, and grey. They have long tails, and as their name suggests, when perched, their tails are almost constantly on the move White Wagtails fly with an undulating pattern and are often accompanied by their high-pitched call.
White Wagtail Call:
Noé Ferrari, xeno-canto.org
Key features to look out for are:
- Black cap & bib.
- White markings on their underparts and cheeks.
- Black tail feathers framed in white.
- Brown colored legs.
It’s possible to distinguish males and females as males have jet-black backs, heads, and breasts, whereas the females on the other hand are slightly more grey. The black coloring is particularly noticeable in males during the breeding season.
Juvenile White Wagtails have been known to confuse with other bird species as their markings are much less pronounced than adults. In particular, their backs are often brown.
Grey Wagtail
Family: Motacillidae
The Grey Wagtail (scientific name Motacilla cinerea) is significantly more colorful than its name suggests, as they have bright yellow underparts. For this reason, they are often confused with the Yellow Wagtail.
The Grey Wagtail likes to make its presence known. They can be found in a varied range of habitats, though waterbodies are their favored location. They can be found across the British Isles, but their numbers are significantly less than that of the White Wagtail. Their call is often described as explosive and can be heard above the sound of even the fastest-flowing torrents of water. It is certainly worth learning about their different call signs, as it is one of the most definitive indicators that there is a Grey Wagtail in the area.
Grey Wagtail Call:
Noé Ferrari, xeno-canto.org
Key features to look out for are:
- Slate grey backs and black wings.
- Yellow underparts.
- Pink or brown legs.
- Black beak.
- Comparably long tail feathers compared to the other resident wagtails in the British Isles.
Males have brighter yellow breast feathers than the females and also sport a black bib which is absent on the females. Though this is most noticeable during the breeding season.
Juvenile birds resemble adult females but with a pinky-buff lower mandible and no black markings.
Yellow Wagtail
Family: Motacillidae
Yellow Wagtails (scientific name Motacilla flava) are only resident in the British Isles during the breeding season, and for the main part, you will only spot them on the east coast and central belt of England. During the winter months, Yellow Wagtails migrate to Africa. Habitat-wise, you are most likely to see the Yellow Wagtail on pastoral land, as well as in marshes and reed beds.
Their call is somewhat sweeter and less piercing than that of the Grey Wagtail and is therefore a good differentiator between the two species.
Yellow Wagtail Call:
Dag Österlund, xeno-canto.org
Key features to look out for are:
- Olive green upper-parts
- Bright yellow under-parts
- Brown Legs
- They tend to hold themselves somewhat more upright than the Grey Wagtail
- Their tail feathers are significantly shorter than that of the Grey Wagtail
It can be difficult to tell males from females with this species, especially outside of the breeding season, though males tend to be brighter yellow than females.
Juvenile birds are similar in coloring to adult females.
