Please help with bird ID in London (1 Viewer)

I

Ivy

Member

• Jun 18, 2018

• #1

Dear All,

A friend of mine on Facebook has seen some small birds in a park behind her estate on Wandsworth Road, in a small park called Heathbrook. It has a longish neck, and a rather thin, fragile physique. She would like to know what kind of bird it is, but she doesn't have a camera or phone. She made a sketch of it. I've gone through the RSPB bird ID guide with her and we can't figure out what it is. A summer migrant perhaps? Can anyone help?

Thanks!

Ivy

 

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Andy Bright

Administrator

Staff member

• Jun 18, 2018

• #2

Hi and welcome to BF.
Just throwing it out there but Pied Wagtails?
https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Pied_Wagtail

Some sort of size comparison to birds your friend is familiar with would be handy.

 

Deb Burhinus

Used to be well known! 😎

• Jun 18, 2018

• #3

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EC6zCxNsrZs

check out pied wagtail

x post with Andy

 

I

Ivy

Member

• Jun 18, 2018

• #4

Thanks Andy and Deb, I tried pied wagtail and other kinds of wagtail including juvenile wagtails. She said they were really thin, and hop and wag.

 

Last edited: Jun 18, 2018

L

Louis_P

Average Birder

• Jun 18, 2018

• #5

Without pictures or very detailed illustrations this is hard. The closest thing I could come up with is a Nuthatch.

 

Last edited: Jun 18, 2018

I

Ivy

Member

• Jun 18, 2018

• #6

Thanks very much! It looks like it's a pied wagtail juvenile or a white wagtail juvenile.

 

Deb Burhinus

Used to be well known! 😎

• Jun 18, 2018

• #7

Ivy said:

Thanks very much! It looks like it's a pied wagtail juvenile or a white wagtail juvenile.

Click to expand...

They are the same species Ivy. The Pied wagtail we get here are a subspecies of the White Wagtail seen on the continent (occassionally here). Your friend actually provided pretty good fieldnotes, description of the walk etc and the drawing does have the gizz of a wagtail!