Bird
🐦
🐦
Size
18 cmSlender and sparrow-sized but with a longer tail
Weight
19–27 gAbout the weight of a large strawberry
Lifespan
2–3 years
Rarity
Common
M vs F
Males are bold black and white in summer; females are greyer above with less black on the breast
Habitat
Gardens, car parks, farmyards, riverbanks, urban streets — almost any open area
Best time
Year-round
Conservation
UK: Green
LC
💡 Did you know?
Pied Wagtails gather in enormous communal roosts in winter — sometimes thousands of birds in supermarket car park trees or reed beds — after spending the day in widely scattered territories
The constant tail-wagging is not fully understood — proposed functions include communication, signalling fitness, and flushing invertebrates from grass — but no single explanation has been fully confirmed
Often confused with
Grey Wagtail (yellow underparts
longer tail
near fast water)
White Wagtail (paler grey back — continental subspecies)
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