White wagtail: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the white wagtail lives – recorded in 100 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Motacilla alba
Group	Songbirds & perching birds
Status	Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	100 countries
Continents	Africa, Asia, Europe, North America
Class	Bird
Order	Passeriformes
Family	Motacillidae

Where does the white wagtail live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the white wagtail in 100 countries and territories across Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. Wikidata gives its range as: Nanling Mountains, People's Republic of China, Africa, South America, Hefei, Indonesia.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the white wagtail endangered?

The white wagtail’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Least concern” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the white wagtail?

The white wagtail (Motacilla alba) is a bird in the order Passeriformes and the family Motacillidae, genus Motacilla. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the white wagtail

The white wagtail (Motacilla alba) is a small passerine bird in the family Motacillidae, which also includes pipits and longclaws. The species breeds in the Palearctic zone in most of Europe and Asia and parts of North Africa; it also has a toehold in western Alaska as a scarce breeder. It is resident in the mildest parts of its range, but otherwise migrates to Africa. In total, there are between 9 and 11 subspecies of M. alba; in Ireland and Great Britain, the black-backed subspecies known as the pied wagtail (M. a. yarrellii) predominates.

The white wagtail is an insectivorous bird of open country, often near habitation and water. It prefers bare areas for feeding, where it can see and pursue its prey. In urban areas, it has adapted to foraging on paved areas such as car parks. It nests in crevices in stone walls and similar natural and human-made structures.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article White wagtail (revision 1380045968), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q25399 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).