ID: Small Black bird with some White on head - SW England? (1 Viewer)

S

saiko

New member

• Feb 18, 2007

• #1

I saw this in my garden the other day (I live on the Cornish coast). It was very small, about 3 inches long, completely black, apart from its face which was white. I've got a large book on British birds but I can't find it in there.

 

IanF

Moderator

• Feb 18, 2007

• #2

Hi saiko,

On behalf of Admin and the Moderators a warm welcome to Bird Forum :t:

From the description this maybe a Pied Wagtail? Some are a greyish body, but others are a striking black and they have a white face.

 

Marmot

Well-known member

• Feb 18, 2007

• #3

Hi saiko,

Welcome to Birdforum.

My first thoughts is a Wagtail (Pied/White).

Here is a link to the database picture. (You can click on the other images as well)
http://www.birdforum.net/bird_view.php?bid=8993

 

colonelboris

Right way up again

• Feb 18, 2007

• #4

If it's black on it's back, then likely to be a male pied wagtail, like the first one on this page:
http://www.tonykeenebirds.co.uk/bbirds/piedwagtail.html
Females and juveniles are grey, while white watails (like the one in the link from Marmot) have much lighter grey backs. They're both subspecies of the same species, Motacilla alba with the most common UK residents (pied)being the subspecies M. a. yarellii and the contiental ones (white) being M. a. alba. The further East or South you go, you get different subspecies again.
They're fairly common, especially near large flat areas with some water, but equally car parks.

 

T

Tim100

Well-known member

• Feb 18, 2007

• #5

My first thought was Long tailed tit.

Tim

 

eagle33

Craig Shaw

• Feb 18, 2007

• #6

Coal Tit


http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/c/coaltit/index.asp

 

dantheman

Bah humbug

• Feb 18, 2007

• #7

saiko said:

I saw this in my garden the other day (I live on the Cornish coast). It was very small, about 3 inches long, completely black, apart from its face which was white. I've got a large book on British birds but I can't find it in there.

Click to expand...

Hi and welcome to Birdforum!

Strictly speaking don't think any of the 'suggestions' fit the 'description' exactly. Although you may well find it turns out to be one of them if you check them out (Especially pied wagtail!).

Did you notice anything else about the bird? Like-

Where was it- eg , on the ground or in the trees, bushes, rooftops?

Did you notice its tail? What was it like?

Did you notice anything else about it eg legs, bill, wings etc etc

How long did you watch it for?

And what was it doing?

 

Last edited: Feb 19, 2007

S

saiko

New member

• Feb 19, 2007

• #8

Thanks for the replies, I think it must be the pied wagtail. I found this photo which is fairly similar to the one I saw. It was late afternoon and raining slighty when I saw it which may have made the bird appear even darker. My bird book is quite large but the pictures it has of pied wagtails are much lighter than the one I saw, so I didn't recognize it the book.