Grey Wagtail

The scientific name of this bird is Motacilla cinerea and belongs to the wagtail family of birds which is motacillidae. The family has a wide variety and does include pipits & long claws under its different types. The grey wagtail is a passerine bird and was described in 1771. The bird does not have a proper record of relationship with the area of origin and relationship among its different breed. The ornithologists mention that the grey wagtail is much closer to a blue headed wagtail and citrine Wagtail in most of its characteristics.
The bird can be found across the parts of Asia, Europe and also in few parts of North Africa. Though the bird is the actual resident of Western Europe and its milder parts, it tends to migrate from there to the parts of south Asia, Africa. The bird loves to be around moving water & fast flowing streams, but during migration period, they go closer to the slow moving streams and looks for insects there. The bird can actually make its nest in those rocks & cliffs, along the stream bed and can then give 3-6 eggs at a time. Those eggs are creamy coloured with a glossy appearance. They may have some grey-buff spots and have a smooth texture. Female takes the responsibility of incubating the eggs, which after hatching are taken care by both male & female afterwards. The build of the bird is quite small and slender and can be up to 17-20 cm in length. A long tail is the major characteristic of the genus of this bird family and the grey wagtail is counted as the wagtail with the longest tail across Europe. Also the longer wagtail proves to be of much help towards the agility of this bird and helps it to control its flight and speed while catching its prey.
The male would normally have a grey top with yellow under parts of the body. The throat is black in colour. The black colour of throat is only seen during breeding plumage and during rest of the periods, the yellow under parts are also diluted with a little bit of white in appearance. The call of it is quite sharper and similar to that of a white wagtail. Knowing about its details, it certainly looks much coloured than what the name suggests. The young ones of this bird would have maximum similarities with the female and adding to it, a lower bill with a pink-buff throat. The young ones would not have the black throat, which they attain only during adult plumage.
The birds have been increasing in numbers in the recent past across the UK and especially those in the western uplands. The winters though badly affect them and that’s the prime reason they migrate during that time. These eat insects most of the times, which are commonly found along the rivers and also at times, can pick up tadpoles and snails from the shallow water beds along the rivers & streams.