White Wagtail

Motacilla alba

Explore this bird

Identification

Field notes

18 cm (7") Rare. Breeds in Western Alaska. Open country.

Black cap. Pale gray back. Long black tail with white outer edges. Black chin, throat and breast. White belly. White wing patches. Wags tail. Bobs head like a dove when walking.

In flight; undulating.

Details in the field

Photo gallery

4 photos

Novosibirsk, Western Siberia, Russia - June 4, 2011

Credit: Sergey Pisarevskiy

Garhi Bazidpur, Haryana, India - February 5, 2012

Credit: Koshy Koshy

Credit: Sergey Yeliseev

Credit: Ferran Pestaña

Watch and learn

Videos

3 videos

White Wagtail - Motacilla alba (alba)

Credit: Ron Jackson

White Wagtail - Calling

Credit: hilldogdog

White wagtail (Motacilla alba)

Credit: Gerard de Jong

Bird Advisor Identification rules 2 variants 2 rules

These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.

White Wagtail

1 rule

Rule 1 14 criteria confidence 2

What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?: Light outer edge or corners · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?: Uniform color · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Unknown
What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?: Light area between the bill and the eye · Light area running up the side of the neck or head · Sideburn stripe running down beneath the eye · Dark area behind, under, through or around the eye · Crest of feathers on top of the head · Ear "tufts" or horns · NONE of the above or a PLAIN unmarked FACE · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like · Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Spring · Summer · Fall
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northwestern Canada or United States

result:750-white-wagtail:1:1 Source: 750 White Wagtail, row 1

White Wagtail (Immature)

1 rule

Rule 1 14 criteria confidence 1

What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?: Light outer edge or corners · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?: Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Unknown
What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?: Light area between the bill and the eye · Light area running up the side of the neck or head · Sideburn stripe running down beneath the eye · Dark area behind, under, through or around the eye · Crest of feathers on top of the head · Ear "tufts" or horns · NONE of the above or a PLAIN unmarked FACE · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like · Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Spring · Summer · Fall
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northwestern Canada or United States

result:751-white-wagtail-immature:1:1 Source: 751 White Wagtail (Immature), row 1