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Pied & White Wagtail (1 Viewer)

Karl J

Well-known member
Up at Winterton Dunes earlier today, saw a couple of pretty ordinary Pied Wagtail (or at least i thought they were) .... just now had a look on brdguides birdmap and i see a White Wagtail was reported there today, so had a look in my id book and ..... errrmm ... what's the difference ?
 
Light grey (as opposed to glossy black or dark grey) back in all plumages.
Also grey head in winter.
 
White Wag' also has a more obvious 'bib' effect when seen head-on (see attached).
 

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The easiest way to spot White v Pied is the sharpness of the transition between the black of the rear crown and the grey of the mantle. Female pieds look more modulated. As Chris says the bibs are separated from the duskiness of the flanks by a clean line of white on Whites and though this appears in no guide book, and I doubt is bourne out by measurements, Whites always look longer tailed to me.

White on left v Pied on right

I love White Wagtails - this time of year I can see up to 200 on the beach in front of the house.
 

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200 at the same time,Jane?...interesting,they have always seemed to be a fairly solitary species where I've seen them,one or two at most.
 
Grousemore said:
200 at the same time,Jane?...interesting,they have always seemed to be a fairly solitary species where I've seen them,one or two at most.


30-50 is more ususual, but yes, early spring White Wagtail passage is a real feature of the NW. I can't think of a species with a bigger spring autumn bias, though some may of course be overlooked in autumn, they don't carpet the beach like they do in spring.
 

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I have heard folk remark that White Wag passage is much more pronounced in western Britain than over here in the east. Certainly Whites are relatively scarce around Peterborough. Any comments?
 
Another good id feature is the extent of duskiness on the flanks (much less or absent on whites).

I had a white oversummer on my local patch in Staffs last summer which was virtually unique for the midlands. Great birds!
 
Hi Brian

I think most of the White Wags going through Britain are reckoned to be on their way to Iceland - hence the more westerly route. I've certainly always seen more over in the west of Scotland than here on the east coast. When we get them here, it's usually when there's westerlies.
 
Hmmm ... ? ..... the id still seems a bit vague to me, but certainly a few things there to think about next time. Cheers all
 
Carlos GY said:
Hmmm ... ? ..... the id still seems a bit vague to me, but certainly a few things there to think about next time. Cheers all

Spring white wags reallly are a case of you will know one when you see one; the males in particular are very smart birds!
 
Hi all,
Michael Frankis said:
Agreed with Andrew, they're Icelandic birds. They usually come together with Greenland Wheatears.
The fact that they're Icelandic birds would explain the regularity of the taxon in autumn(regularly see 20+ at Ballycotton on most September days),but why then are they so scarce in spring?Can't recall having EVER seen one in spring,and I've looked!
Harry
 
Harry Hussey said:
Hi all,

The fact that they're Icelandic birds would explain the regularity of the taxon in autumn(regularly see 20+ at Ballycotton on most September days),but why then are they so scarce in spring?Can't recall having EVER seen one in spring,and I've looked!
Harry
Guess that's the answer to the discrepancies - they travel north through western England in spring, and south through Ireland in autumn

Far from the only bird which follows different routes spring & autumn

Michael
 
brianhstone said:
I have heard folk remark that White Wag passage is much more pronounced in western Britain than over here in the east. Certainly Whites are relatively scarce around Peterborough. Any comments?

Agreed, Brian, the occasional one or two on the dunes as reported by Carlos (Hi, Karl, see you at Strump on 28th!), and certainly never seen the large numbers that you have in the West. Sometimes loads - 200 + - of Pieds in the Buckthorns and on the dunes.
 
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