General

White Wagtail: Medium-sized wagtail, mostly white except for black upperparts and upper breast. All-white wing appears as a white wing patch when folded. Tail is black with white outer tail feathers that are conspicuous in flight and flicked continually when walking. Sexes are similar. Winter adult and juvenile have mainly gray upperparts and reduced black on breast. Accidental visitor in Alaska.

Range and Habitat

White Wagtail: Eurasian native; rare visitor on the outer Aleutians and other Alaskan islands; sometimes occurs further east. Preferred habitats include rocky seashores, grasslands, lakes, and rivers.

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"chuchun-chuchun"

Interesting Facts

 The White Wagtail was originally described by Linnaeus in his 18th century work, Systema Naturae, and it still bears its original name of Motacilla alba.

 The Latin genus name originally meant "little mover", but certain medieval writers though it meant "wag-tail", giving rise to a new Latin word, cilla, for "tail". The species name, alba, is Latin for "white".

 Willy Wagtail was a colloquial name used on the Isle of Man, replacing the older name of ushag vreck.

 A group of wagtails are collectively known as a "flock" of wagtails.

Author

Gary Owen Dick