To tick or not to tick? That is the Wagtail question.

[Andrew]

Should I tick White Wagtail as a separate species to Pied even though they are not classed as speaprate species? What is the common consensus. I am inclined not to do so but if it is common practice to do so then I shall have it.

[Michael Frankis]

Hi Andrew,

Nope, only one tick there. You can only tick White Wagtail, if you haven't ticked Pied. By Order of the BOU :brains:

Not sure what a 'speaprate' species is 3:-) o:D

Michael

[walwyn]

Done to death (http://www.birdforum.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8270) last week.

[dennis]

That goes for The American Birding Assoc. also....only one tick, White Wagtail.

dennis

[Andrew]

Right, thanks for confirming what I thought. Seeing as White Wagtail is the nominate species should I replace the Pied (yarrelli) on my list with the White (alba)?

[logos]

Yes, you probably should, though its your list and you can do what you like, technically 'Pied' should be in inverted commas (but seldom is) as it is an English subspecies name only.

Spud

[Andrew]

Thanks for the advice Spud.

[Fulmar]

Hi Andrew,

Move to the Netherlands, you can have one more tick there as the Pied and the White are officially two species according to the Dutch "BOU". o:)

Peter

[Bluetail]

Hi Andrew

For what it's worth, my solution to the names is that on my British List I've put it down as "Pied Wagtail" and on my world list it's "White Wagtail". Similarly in Britain I see "Great Northern Divers", but in Canada I noted them down as "Common Loons". When in Rome and all that....

Jason

[Andrew]

Bluetail,
I have it down as White Wagtail myself, before it was Pied but when I saw Whites on Scilly I switched to the nominate species name cos it felt the right thing to do. If they ever do split it then it will be easy enough to get Pied :t:

Fulmar,
What the Dutch will do for an extra tick ;) .

[sparrowbirder]

im sure it will be split eventually just sit back and wait for the "armchair " tick

[Jane Turner]

There is actually a small structural difference between pied and white...but they are so obviously just subspecies...... mind you that hasn't stopped the BOU before....