Species guide
White Wagtail: how to recognise it
A bird seen on most continents. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © ZTSurvival · CC BY-NC · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Motacilla alba
- Family
- Wagtails and Pipits
- Size
- About 16–19 cm
- Habitat
- Open ground near water, farmland, car parks and towns
- Found in
- Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, South America and Oceania
The key marks
A slim black, white and grey bird with a long tail that it wags constantly, a black bib and a white face.
Voice
A bright “tchi-vit” flight call.
Good to know
It often follows tractors and ploughs, running after the insects they disturb.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in open ground near water, farmland, car parks and towns. It is especially common in Sweden, Kyrgyzstan, Japan and Norway. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.