| Pied wagtail - Motacilla alba - Family: Motacillidae
 Pied wagtail - Motacilla alba© Dr Chris Gibson/English NatureThis is an attractive and distinctive black and white bird with a long tail that is constantly flicked up and down as the bird moves around. The female is somewhat drabber than the male. The pied wagtail is a familiar sight in built-up areas, and can often be seen foraging for insects on flat surfaces such as car-parks, verges, playing fields, the roofs of buildings and even roads, provided there is not much traffic about. It seems especially fond of areas in the vicinity of supermarkets! Garden lawns also provide suitable feeding areas, particularly when the turf is kept closely-cropped by regular mowing. Pied wagtails seem to prefer to nest in natural cavities, often where these are obscured by creepers like ivy but nest boxes may be used and nests have even been found in greenhouses. In winter, large numbers may gather together to roost communally, often in built-up areas. Pied wagtails are resident birds but are more likely to be seen in gardens in the winter months. You can increase your chances of having a pied wagtail in the garden by adding a pond since this will attract many of the insects on which this species feeds. FoodIn spring and summer, almost exclusively small insects caught by active foraging on the ground or around water. Predator of thrips, beetles and ants. May take seeds from bird tables out of the breeding season. PlantsCalifornian lilac PreyAnts, Beetles, Mosquitoes and midges, Spiders and harvestmen, Water invertebrates, Woodlice/Millipedes/Centipedes PredatorsKestrel, Sparrowhawk |
