Pied / White Wagtail

A black-and-white bird that walks briskly while wagging its long tail.

A recording has not been added yet. Use the identification notes below for now.

I know this bird · Record a sighting Where to look & how to find it ↓

FIELDCRAFT · FIND WITH CARE

Finding guide

Start close to home

Choose the season, find the habitat, then watch patiently. Search guidance is not a measure of rarity or conservation status.

When to go: All year; additional autumn and winter visitors
Where to start: Residential areas, parks and farm surroundings viewed from public spaces.
What to do when you arrive: Watch open paving and watersides for slender birds running and wagging their tails. Note back and face patterns without forcing every winter bird to subspecies.

Habitat and behaviour reference: BirdWatch Ireland ↗ · The practical steps are editorial advice based on the references, not live sightings.

SPECIES NOTESSpecies notes

How to identify it

Long tail, white face and black head/breast markings. British males are black-backed, females greyer, juveniles duller. Grey-backed White Wagtail migrants are included in the same species entry.

Habitat

Towns, villages, buildings, gardens and nearby open ground.

Behaviour

Chases insects across open ground and may roost communally in winter.

When to look

All year; additional autumn and winter visitors

Where to look

Residential areas, parks and farm surroundings viewed from public spaces.

Reference photos do not show every sex, age, season or geographic form; use the identification notes too.

Further reading:BirdWatch Ireland ↗ · Wikipedia ↗

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