White Wagtail

The white wagtail is a slender wagtail, 16.5–19cm long, East Asian forms reaching 21cm, with the long, constantly wagging tail of its genus and an average weight of about 25g. Between 9 and 11 subspecies are recognised; the British pied wagtail, for example, replaces the pale grey of the nominate form with black in males. Wild birds may live up to about 12 years (Wikipedia, general species account).

It is an insectivorous bird of open country, often near people and water, and prefers bare ground where it can see and chase prey; in towns it has learned to forage on paved areas such as car parks. It nests in crevices in stone walls and similar natural and man-made structures. It is resident in the mildest parts of its range and otherwise migrates south for the winter. SoIB 2023 lists it as a migrant within India and a winter visitor, estimates a long-term decline of about 51% and a current fall of about 5% a year, and rates it a Moderate conservation priority (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).