White wagtail

Motacilla alba
Wagtail like (Motacillidae)

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Slender black white grey marked bird with a long tail wagging continuously. Black cap, neck, throat, grey back and rump, white undersurface and cheeks. Black wings with 2 white stripes and a black tail with white outside edges. ♂ while breeding more sharply coloured than ♀, outside breeding both are paler and looking scruffy as young adults do.

Hunts for insects and prefers open areas so both prey and predator can be spotted. The wagging tail is characteristic as are its more yellowish subspecies.

⇔ l. 16-19 cm

The national bird of Latvia.

The wagtail MOTACILLA ALBA YARRELLII has sometimes considered a separate species and has a darker to black back in summer. There are 9 more subspecies all difficult to differentiate.

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