Help in sexing a UK wagtail. (1 Viewer)

NIK III

Well-known member

• Dec 3, 2019

• #1

Please can anyone help me sex these grey wagtails. It would also be very useful to know if their plumage is that of a mature or immature bird. They were all taken on a freshwater stream just before it ran into the sea in South East Scotland. Number 1 (extreme left) taken 20.4.19, 2 taken 2.8.19, 3 taken 28.9.19, 4 (extreme right) taken 28.9.19.

Thanks a lot
Roy

 

Attachments

• 
  1 - 20.4.19.jpg

  189.1 KB · Views: 48
• 
  2 - 2.8.19.jpg

  138.5 KB · Views: 38
• 
  3 - 28.9.19.jpg

  181 KB · Views: 42
• 
  4 - 28.9.19.jpg

  197.6 KB · Views: 31

rollingthunder

Well-known member

• Dec 3, 2019

• #2

For me:

Male.
Juvenile.
Female.
Female.

Laurie:t:

 

Deb Burhinus

Used to be well known! 😎

• Dec 3, 2019

• #3

1. Adult male
2 juvenile and 3 winter plumage adult (not sure of sex)
4..Adult female

 

Last edited: Dec 3, 2019

NIK III

Well-known member

• Dec 3, 2019

• #4

Thanks a lot Laurie and Deb. Your opinions are appreciated.

I must have visited this spot about 50 times between March and November. If I sat for a while I would always see grey wagtails. The only one I saw with a dark throat was number 1 above. I thought it might be a male, but I wasn't sure. It seems strange though that in all those visits I only had a single sighting of an adult male.

 

Deb Burhinus

Used to be well known! 😎

• Dec 3, 2019

• #5

sorry just realised the numbering was wrong on my post! It should read as Amended!
(vis a vis your obs, just to add that occasionally females can have black throats and males white and varying amounts of yellow so sexing on plumage not always 100% reliable)

 

Last edited: Dec 3, 2019

NIK III

Well-known member

• Dec 4, 2019

• #6

Deb Burhinus said:

sorry just realised the numbering was wrong on my post! It should read as Amended!
(vis a vis your obs, just to add that occasionally females can have black throats and males white and varying amounts of yellow so sexing on plumage not always 100% reliable)

Click to expand...

Thanks for that last bit Deb. Maybe I did see other males.