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Birds › Mountain lake › White Wagtail

White Wagtail

Motacilla alba

Wags its long tail up and down almost all the time as it runs after insects.

Where to see it for real: Lawns, roofs and the edges of ponds and streams.

Spot it in the game

Lives in the Mountain lake habitat (Eastern Himalayas, Yunnan, China, at about 3,700 m).

White Wagtail, Motacilla alba
Photo: Ani Sarkisyan, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist. Cut out from the original photo.

White Wagtail facts

Family
Wagtails and pipits
Length
7.1 in (18 cm)
Wingspan
11 in (28 cm)
Weight
0.7 oz (21 g)
Diet
Small insects caught on the ground or in short flights.
Range
Across Europe, Asia and North Africa, from sea level to high mountains.
Nest
A cup in a crevice in a wall, bank or building.
Song
A twittering song and a sharp "chis-ick" call.
Active
by day
Status
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: widespread and not at risk.

What the White Wagtail sounds like

Recording 1: Noé Ferrari, CC BY 4.0, original on xeno-canto. Trimmed and cleaned of low background noise.
Recording 2: Jochem verweij, CC BY-SA 4.0, original on xeno-canto. Trimmed and cleaned of low background noise.

How to attract the White Wagtail

Feeder foods, favorite first: mealworms. Feeders that hold them: platform feeder. Keep a bird bath full, too.

In the game: fill a feeder with mealworms and keep the bird bath full. It is a common visitor.

More: bird songs and calls, what to feed birds.

More birds of the mountain lake

Black-necked CraneBlack-necked CraneMountain lakeRuddy ShelduckRuddy ShelduckMountain lakeBar-headed GooseBar-headed GooseMountain lakeBrown-headed GullBrown-headed GullMountain lakeRed-billed ChoughRed-billed ChoughMountain lakePlumbeous RedstartPlumbeous RedstartMountain lake

Spot the White Wagtail yourself

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