White Wagtail

Motacilla alba Linnaeus, 1758

16–19 cmLength26 cmWingspan24 gWeight

This slender small bird wags its tail up and down almost continuously.

Busiest months: March–April and October–December · Most records: United Kingdom, China, Spain

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Long tail, wagged almost continuously
Body slender, 16.5–21 cm long

Male, female and young

In some subspecies, the sexes differ in the breeding season.

Voice

The call is a sharp “chissick”.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: March–April and October–December · Most records: United Kingdom, China, Spain

White Wagtail has been recorded at 4,026 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 127 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Titchwell Marsh RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom5,187 records
GambellUnited States4,986 records
Txingudi – PlaiaundiSpain4,682 records

More places

Minsmere RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom3,911 records
International Birding and Research Center Eilat (IBRCE)Israel3,631 records
Mai Po Nature ReserveHong Kong (China)3,477 records
Beddington FarmlandsUnited Kingdom3,376 records
Rutland WaterUnited Kingdom3,183 records
Taipei – Tianliaoyang WetlandTaiwan (China)3,102 records
Cley & Salthouse Marshes NWT NR – Cley Marshes including Hides and Visitor CentreUnited Kingdom3,070 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United Kingdom China Spain Portugal Japan India Israel Germany

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The white wagtail (Motacilla alba) is a small passerine bird in the family Motacillidae, which also includes pipits and longclaws. The species breeds in the Palearctic zone in most of Europe and Asia and parts of North Africa; it also has a toehold in western Alaska as a scarce breeder. It is resident in the mildest parts of its range, but otherwise migrates to Africa.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the White Wagtail?

The White Wagtail is about 16–19 cm long, with a wingspan of 26 cm and weighs around 24 g.

Where does the White Wagtail live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: widespread, also western Alaska. It is most often recorded in United Kingdom, China and Spain.

When is the best time to see the White Wagtail?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in March, April, October, November and December (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the White Wagtail endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the White Wagtail as Least Concern.

What does the White Wagtail eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the White Wagtail in?

It belongs to the family Wagtails, Pipits (Motacillidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length: 16–19 cm
Wingspan: 26 cm
Weight: 24 g
Habitat: Towns & farmland
Diet: Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle: Active on the ground
Migration: Migratory
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 87 mm
Tail: 87 mm
Bill: 16 mm
Tarsus: 23 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Palearctic: widespread, also western Alaska

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Subspecies · 5

Motacilla alba personata n Iran to sw Siberia, w Mongolia, nw China and w Himalayas | non-breeding: e Arabia to India
Motacilla alba baicalensis sc Siberia to ne China | non-breeding: India to c Indochina
Motacilla alba lugens coastal Sea of Okhotsk, c Kamchatka, Commander Is. and Sakhalin (e Russia), n Korean Pen. and Hokkaido to Kyushu (n to s Japan) | non-breeding: to se Asia, se China, Taiwan (China) and Japan to Ryukyu Is.
Motacilla alba leucopsis c, e China, Amurland and Ussuriland (se Russia), Korean Pen. and sw Honshu and n Kyushu (c to sw Japan) | non-breeding: India, se Asia, se China and Taiwan (China)
Motacilla alba alboides c, e Himalayas to s China, n Indochina and n Myanmar