Wagtails are some of the most familiar birds in the United Kingdom. These perky songbirds have earned many admirers thanks to their carefree and charismatic behaviour. Although wagtails have plenty of fans, UK residents still have questions about these birds. For instance, how many types of wagtails (UK) are there?
Well, five British wagtails have been observed within the United Kingdom. They vary from the abundant Pied Wagtail (White Wagtail) to the elusive Eastern Yellow Wagtail. No matter your wagtail fancy – this article has you covered! Continue reading as I describe the five types of wagtails in UK in detail. Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
Shared Wagtail Traits
Before discussing each wagtail species, allow me to go over some shared traits and characteristics that all wagtails share. First, know that all wagtails have distinct breeding and nonbreeding (winter) plumage. Therefore, these birds will take on a couple of different looks throughout the year.
As their names suggest, wagtails do–indeed–wag their tails as they strut along the ground. These songbirds rarely perch in trees, preferring to stay on or near the ground. Lastly, wagtails are largely insectivorous by nature. Please check out my article on wagtail behaviour if you’d like to learn more!
The 5 Types of Wagtails
Citrine Wagtail
Identification
Citrine Wagtails are attractive birds with breeding plumage that features yellow throats and undersides. Males have entirely yellow heads in the breeding season, while females have grey cheeks and caps on their yellow heads. Males and females within the grey-backed subspecies have slate grey backs, while those of the black-backed subspecies have jet-black backs.
Both subspecies have extensive white colouration on their wings. This species has white outer tail feathers in all plumages. The nonbreeding plumage of these birds features pale stomachs, grey backs, and faces with grey, yellow, and orange colouration.
Habitat and Range
Citrine Wagtails are said to have a stronger tie to aquatic habitats compared to the other types of British Wagtails. They seek out meadows and areas of tundra during the summer nesting season. During migration, they seek sheetwater, wetlands, lagoons, sandbars, and irrigated farmland.
Citrine Wagtails are rare visitors to the UK. Their breeding range encompasses eastern Europe, Russia, parts of the northern Middle East, and central Asia. Wintering birds travel to the Gulf States of the Middle East, India, and southeastern Asia. Vagrants occasionally turn up in the United Kingdom in the spring, summer, and autumn.
Status and Abundance
The population of Citrine Wagtails is doing well, with more than 300,000 birds thought to breed in Russia alone. These songbirds have been expanding their range, with pairs colonizing new territories in Finland and parts of Europe.
Observing this species in the United Kingdom is a special experience, as fewer than 450 reports of this species have been submitted to eBird.
Eastern Yellow Wagtail
Identification
There are several subspecies of Eastern Yellow Wagtails, but the most common is the eastern subspecies. Breeding plumage Eastern Yellow Wagtails have grey caps, white supercilia, white throats, and grey napes. They’ve got green backs, yellow undersides, and white outer tail feathers.
Those in nonbreeding plumage look quite different, as they have grey faces, heads, and backs. Their undersides are a beige colouration. Eastern Yellow Wagtails were not separated from Western Yellow Wagtails into their own species until recently. They are said to have hind claws that are longer than those of Western Yellow Wagtails.
Habitat and Range
Eastern Yellow Wagtails seek damp habitats such as marshes, bogs, and wet meadows during the breeding season. During the nonbreeding season, they may appear in pastures, beaches, and flooded fields.
Most of the breeding population reproduces near the Russian tundra, however, birds also breed in central Asia and Alaska. Birds travel to southeastern Asia, Indonesia, northern Australia, and an assortment of island nations during winter.
Status and Abundance
There are no population estimates available for Eastern Yellow Wagtails, but they have a sizable range and thus are thought to be quite numerous. However, they are the rarest types of wagtails (UK). Only 275 records have been submitted in the UK.
Grey Wagtail
Identification
Grey Wagtails are not the most aptly named British birds. Although they do have grey backs and faces, this feature is shared by all other British wagtails. Moreover, they have stunning yellow undersides and undertail coverts. Males have slate grey throats in breeding plumage, while females have white throats.
Look for the white semicircles around the eyes of these songbirds. Moreover, they have white supercilia in all plumages. Birds tend to lose a bit of the yellow on their undersides during winter, leaving their plumage rather white underneath. However, they maintain their yellow undertail coverts. Grey Wagtails have longer tails than the other British wagtails.
Habitat and Range
Grey Wagtails seek sources of flowing water during the breeding season. It is adjacent to these locations where they build their nests. Locations such as rivers, creeks, or artificial sources of flowing water are all utilized by this species. Grey Wagtails tend to be more willing to breed within forested areas compared to other UK wagtails.
They are versatile during the nonbreeding season, as they can be found in agricultural landscapes, wetland edges, acreages, woodlots, and more.
Grey Wagtails have a massive breeding range, inhabiting everything from the UK in the west to Kamchatka in the east. They remain in Europe during the winter, but they vacate the Russian tundra and travel south. They can be found from East Africa to Indonesia. Grey Wagtails are present in the United Kingdom all year.
Status and Abundance
Grey Wagtails are flourishing, with more than 10 million birds certainly in existence. They are certainly common within the United Kingdom, being the second-most common of the types of wagtails (UK). Just shy of 100,000 observations have been made in the United Kingdom.
Pied Wagtail (White Wagtail)
Identification
White Wagtails–or Pied Wagtails, as they’re called in the UK–have white faces and jet-black backs in breeding plumage. Additionally, they possess black crowns, black throats, white undersides, and black tails with white outer tail feathers.
Nonbreeding birds lose much of their black colour, developing grey backs instead. Some retain black caps during this time, while others have grey caps.
Habitat and Range
Pied Wagtails are very adaptable, being present in a remarkable variety of habitats throughout their range. Breeding birds often try to be close to water. Therefore, these tiny British birds seek out banks adjacent to flowing water for nesting, but they may also nest in rocky terrain and human settlements in parts of their range.
If a habitat lacks substantial tree cover, then Pied Wagtails may be present in such a habitat during the nonbreeding season.
These types of British wagtails often form groups during winter. They forage in agricultural areas, wetland edges, and other open areas during the day. They gather in sizable roosts in urban areas or small patches of trees at night.
Status and Abundance
Pied Wagtails are abundant, as they have managed to adapt well to human alterations throughout their landscape. There are likely tens of millions of Pied Wagtails in existence. In the UK, they are the most common wagtail species. Here, more than 325,000 have been observed
Western Yellow Wagtail
Identification
Western Yellow Wagtails are quite indistinguishable from Eastern Yellow Wagtails. Therefore, they have grey crowns and napes and green backs in breeding plumage. Moreover, summer birds have white throats, supercilia, and yellow undersides.
Birds become beige underneath and greyer overall in the breeding season. Although most birds in the United Kingdom are Westerns, sometimes it is impossible to separate Western Yellow Wagtails from Easterns.
Habitat and Range
Breeding birds seek saturated habitats that feature low vegetation nearby in which they can build nests. Tundra, fens, meadows, and similar habitats are used by pairs in the summer. They can be found in a variety of open, wet habitats in winter. During this time, they often associate with groups of livestock or large mammals in open areas. Here, they have easy access to insect prey.
Western Yellow Wagtails are moderately common breeders in much of the United Kingdom. Their breeding range extends east through central Asia. In the nonbreeding season, these birds winter in Africa, India, and the Gulf States of the Middle East.
Status and Abundance
Western Yellow Wagtails are flourishing, as there are thought to be more than 25 million in existence. They are regulars in the United Kingdom. Here, they have been reported about 35,000 times.