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White Wagtail
last update: Apr 21, 2009 10:55 AM
Latin name: Motacilla alba
Population: unknown
Cites classified: Least Concern
Where found: Southeastern Greenland, Iceland, northern Scandinavia, and across Russia north to the coast, except for the Taimyr Peninsula, and east to the Bering Sea and western Alaska
Age/ life expectancy: 2 years
Wingspan: 25-30 cm
Length: 17-19 cm
Weight: 20-25 g
Mating/Breeding: White Wagtails are monogamous and defend breeding territories. The breeding season for most is from April to August, with the season starting later further north. Both sexes are responsible for building the nest, which is a rough cup assembled from twigs, grass, leaves and other plant matter. The nest is set into a crevice or hole; traditionally in a bank next to a river, but the species has also adapted to nesting in walls, bridges and buildings. Around 3-8 eggs are laid, with the usual number being 4-6. Both parents incubate the eggs, although the female generally does so for longer and incubates at night. The eggs begin to hatch after 12 days (sometimes as late as 16 days). Both parents feed the chicks until they fledge at around 14 days, and the chicks are fed for another week after fledging.
Eggs: 4-6 eggs varying from white with brown speckles to heavily brown-marked
Hibernation: migrates to central Europe, the Middle East and southern Asia
Hunting Habits: ground foraging and short flights
Feed on: invertebrates and insects
Colour/Body: The nominate subspecies is basically grey above and white below, with a white face, black cap and black throat. Other subspecies, the validity of some of which is questionable, differ in the colour of the wings, back, and head, or other features.
Subspecies: M. a. alba: Europe from the Iberian Peninsula to Ural Mountains, Turkey, the Levant, Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland's east coast. Some migrate to the south of Europe and Africa down as far as Kenya and Malawi, Nominate subspecies; M. a. yarrellii: Pied Wagtail , Great Britain and Ireland, birds in the northern part of the range winter in Spain and North Africa, those further south are resident. Has a much blacker back than the nominate race, black of throat continues on side of neck; M. a. dukhunensis: Indian Pied Wagtail, West Siberian Plain - east Caspian Sea (part of Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan), winters in the Middle East and India. The upperparts of this subspecies are paler and more blue-grey than nominate, and has it has a continuous unbroken white panel on wing coverts; M. a. persica: North central and western Iran; M. a. subpersonata: Moroccan Wagtail, Non-migratory resident of Morocco. It has more black on the head than the nominate, and resembles a grey-backed, white-throated African Pied Wagtail; M. a. personata: Masked Wagtail, Hindu Kush, Tian Shan, Altay Mountains (northern Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Xinjiang). All-black head with a white face mask; M. a. alboides Himalayas and surrounding area. This subspecies has a black back and a lot of black around the head, a white wing panel and white edges on the secondaries and tertials; M. a. baicalensis: Russia in Lake Baikal area, Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, Resembles M. a. leucopsis but grey back and less white on head and wing; M. a. ocularis: Siberia, Far Eastern (Russia, eastwards from Central Siberian Plateau) expanding into West Alaska; M. a. lugens: Black-backed Wagtail or Kamchatka/Japanese Pied Wagtail, Russia Far East (Primorsky Krai, Khabarovsk Krai), Kamchatka Peninsula, Kuril Islands, Sakhalin, Japan (Hokkaidō, Honshū), similar to M. a. yarrellii, but has a black eyestripe and white remiges; might have a claim to constitute a distinct species; M. a. leucopsis: Mainland China, Korean Peninsula, Taiwan, Japan (Ryukyu Islands, Kyūshū) expanding into Japan (Honshū), Southeast Asia, India and Oceania
