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 →
Closest Relatives at Olympic National Park
American Pipit
Anthus rubescens
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Poecile rufescens
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Common Raven
Corvus corax
Spotted Towhee
Pipilo maculatus
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Regulus satrapa
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Sitta canadensis
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
Steller's Jay
Cyanocitta stelleri
📅 Monthly Probability
Fewer than 5 records of White Wagtail at Olympic National Park — not enough to chart months honestly.
☀️ 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