White Wagtail
Motacilla alba
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyMotacillidae (Wagtails and Pipits)
- GenusMotacilla (Wagtails)
- SpeciesMotacilla alba (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. Wikipedia →
40–50% of wildlife watchers report a White Wagtail sighting in Nikko National Park, based on 163 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Nikko National Park
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinerea
Japanese Wagtail
Motacilla grandis
Olive-backed Pipit
Anthus hodgsoni
Cinereous Tit
Parus cinereus
Large-billed Crow
Corvus macrorhynchos
Japanese Bush Warbler
Horornis diphone
Coal Tit
Periparus ater
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatus
Willow Tit
Poecile montanus
Brown-eared Bulbul
Hypsipetes amaurotis
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandarius
Eurasian Nuthatch
Sitta europaea
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a White Wagtail in Nikko National Park?
About 41% of wildlife watchers report a White Wagtail sighting in Nikko National Park, based on 163 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see White Wagtail in Nikko National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for White Wagtail in Nikko National Park in our monthly data.