The pied wagtail is a small, long-tailed bird found throughout much of Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. With its characteristic black and white plumage, the pied wagtail is a familiar sight in parks, gardens and along waterways. But just how rare is this charismatic little bird?
What is a pied wagtail?
The pied wagtail (Motacilla alba) is a small passerine bird in the wagtail family Motacillidae. There are a number of subspecies across its wide range, with differing amounts of black and white plumage. In the UK, the pied wagtail subspecies is Motacilla alba yarrellii.
The pied wagtail is slender with a long, black tail that it wags frequently. Its back and head are black with a white belly. It has a distinctive black and white pattern on its wings and white outer tail feathers which are visible during flight. The legs are pink and the bill is black. Males and females look similar, but females may have a slightly greyer head while males have a broader black breast band.
Pied wagtails are widely distributed across Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. Their preferred habitats are open grassy areas near water, including wet meadows, riverbanks, lake shores, canals, marshes and sewage farms. They also inhabit town parks and gardens. They are strongly associated with human habitation and are one of the animals most frequently seen in urban areas.
Population and distribution
The pied wagtail has an extremely large range and population. According to the IUCN Red List, its global population is estimated to number between 31,300,000 to 117,000,000 individual birds. Across its vast range, population trends appear to be stable and the pied wagtail is evaluated as a species of Least Concern.
In Europe, there are between 12.9 and 20 million pairs, equating to 25.8 – 40 million mature individuals. Populations in Europe are increasing. The European population represents about 25-49% of the global population, meaning the worldwide population is likely around 52 – 160 million individual pied wagtails.
Pied wagtails are resident in much of their range but populations from higher latitudes migrate to warmer regions for the winter. Northern European populations move south to winter around the Mediterranean while in Asia they move further south to tropical regions. In Africa many populations are sedentary but some make seasonal movements.
Distribution in the UK
In the United Kingdom, the pied wagtail is widely distributed across England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. It is a very common and familiar bird across most of the UK.
According to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), there are between 1.2 and 1.9 million breeding pairs in the UK, meaning a total breeding population of around 2.4 to 3.8 million individuals. The UK holds between 1-2% of the global population.
Pied wagtail populations breed throughout the UK in summer then spread out from their inland and upland breeding areas in winter. They are one of the few species that is actually more widespread and conspicuous in winter than summer in Britain.
Conservation status
Due to its extremely large global population and widespread distribution, the pied wagtail is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Its global population is believed to be stable and may be increasing in some regions like Europe.
The pied wagtail faces no substantial threats at present. Its adaptable nature means it inhabits a broad range of open habitats, including many human-altered environments. This allows it to thrive across widespread urban and suburban areas.
There are no quantitative analyses of the global population trends but the pied wagtail is not believed to be approaching the thresholds for a threatened category. For these reasons, the pied wagtail is considered a species of Least Concern.
Population trends in the UK
In the UK, the pied wagtail population is flourishing. Numbers have increased by 27% in recent decades, according to the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Breeding Bird Survey. It is now one of the 35 most widespread and common species breeding in the UK. Conservation status in the UK is Green under the Birds of Conservation Concern assessment.
Rarity in the UK
The pied wagtail is a common and familiar bird seen in many habitats across the UK year-round. But how rare is it compared to other British breeding birds? We can measure its rarity by looking at:
- Abundance – the size of its breeding population
- Breeding range – the proportion of the UK occupied by breeding birds
- Population trends – whether the population size is increasing or decreasing
Abundance
According to the latest estimate, there are 2.4 to 3.8 million breeding pairs of pied wagtails in the UK. Out of the approximate 256 species of birds that breed regularly in Britain, the pied wagtail ranks as the 15th most abundant breeding species. It is more common than species like the barn swallow, buzzard, kestrel and skylark.
So while the pied wagtail is certainly an abundant species, there are 14 other birds that breed in higher numbers in the UK, including the wren, robin, blackbird, blue tit and woodpigeon.
Breeding range
The pied wagtail has an extremely large breeding range across the UK. According to the BTO’s Bird Atlas 2007-11, pied wagtails were confirmed breeding in 88% of UK tetrads (2 km x 2 km squares). They were possible, probable or confirmed breeders in 94% of tetrads. This makes the pied wagtail one of the most widespread breeding bird species in the UK.
Although they are widespread breeders, there are a few species that breed across a higher proportion of the UK. The 10 most widespread UK breeding birds according to the Bird Atlas are:
- Wren – 94.7% of tetrads
- Robin – 94.5%
- Blackbird – 94.4%
- Woodpigeon – 94.0%
- Blue tit – 93.9%
- Great tit – 93.8%
- Chaffinch – 93.0%
- Greenfinch – 92.3%
- House sparrow – 91.6%
- Starling – 90.5%
So while the pied wagtail breeds over a wide area of the UK, it ranks as only the 11th most widespread breeding species, marginally behind the starling.
Population trends
The pied wagtail population has been increasing over recent decades. BTO Breeding Bird Survey data shows that pied wagtail numbers grew by 27% between 1995-2019. The population has more than doubled since the late 1960s.
By contrast, more than 50 species of UK breeding birds have declined over recent decades, including farmland birds like skylarks, grey partridges and turtle doves, and many woodland and moorland species. Several UK bird species have been Red listed as Birds of Conservation Concern due to severe population declines.
The pied wagtail’s increasing population sets it apart from many other bird species struggling with modern pressures like agricultural change. Its adaptability to breed successfully around humans appears to be benefitting the pied wagtail and allowing its numbers to grow.
Status summary
While the pied wagtail is one of the most abundant, widespread and familiar breeding birds in the UK, it cannot be considered a rare species in any sense. Its breeding population ranks among the top 20 most populous bird species. Its breeding range covers over 90% of the UK, making it more widespread than the majority of breeding birds. And it stands out as one of the few UK bird species with a growing population.
In summary:
- Abundance – common, ranks in top 15 most abundant UK breeding birds
- Breeding range – very widespread, breeds across over 90% of UK
- Population trend – increased by 27% in recent decades
For these reasons, the pied wagtail is classified as a Green-listed species of Least Concern and cannot be considered rare in any meaningful way in the UK context.
Why is the pied wagtail common?
Several factors contribute to the pied wagtail being one of Britain’s most common and successful breeding birds:
- Generalist habitat – not reliant on any one specific habitat type
- Adaptable to human settlements – breeds readily in parks, gardens and other human environments
- Opportunistic diet – eats a wide variety of invertebrate prey including flies, beetles, spiders, worms and molluscs
- Multiple broods – often raises 2-3 broods per season, producing 5-6 eggs per clutch
- Migratory – southern UK birds move south in winter while continental migrants top up breeding numbers
- Few predators – not a major target for many birds of prey or mammalian predators
This combination of traits has enabled pied wagtail numbers to increase while many other bird species have declined. Their generalist, opportunistic lifestyle buffers them against some of the pressures faced by more specialised birds.
Conclusion
In summary, the pied wagtail is in no way considered a rare bird species in the UK. It breeds over most of the country in good numbers and its population is increasing. While it may not be as ubiquitous as birds like the wren and the blackbird, it is nonetheless one of Britain’s most abundant and familiar garden birds, and looks set to remain that way for the foreseeable future.