Bird Profile: Pied Wagtail
The pied wagtail is a common small, long-tailed, black-and-white bird usually with a white face, white belly and white bars on the wings. As their name suggests, the wagtail's signature move is "wagging" their tail up and down which is thought to be an evolutionary adaptation to enhance feeding by flushing out hidden insects.
Pied Wagtail Statistics
- Length: 18cm
- Wingspan: 28cm
- Weight: 21g
- Average lifespan: 2 years
Wagtail Favourite Foods
Wagtail Nesters
Pied Wagtail Fun Facts
- Although they usually live life in the fast lane, the maximum recorded age for a pied wagtail is 11 years and 3 months.
- Each pair of wagtails will usually try and nest two or three times during the summer.
- Buckingham Place supports a wagtail roost.
- Numbers of pied wagtails in Britain are on the increase.
- Pied wagtail eats seeds and insects.
You may see Pied Wagtails in your garden, if you do have any pictures we would love to see them!