Grey Wagtail

It is suggested that confusion could arise between the Grey Wagtail and the Pied Wagtail. In my opinion, when closely observed, this only happens with first-year birds, and even then. The Grey Wagtail exhibits sexual dimorphism. The breeding male is easily identified by its black bib. The head is grey-brown. The dark eye has two white supercilliary arcs above and below. The upper arc merges into a distinctive white eyebrow. The lores are black. Two broad white moustaches border the black bib. The bill is black. In winter, the male loses its black bib, resembling a female, though it is paler blue-grey underneath. The best specific criterion is the colour of the upper part. The mantle, back and part of the wings are grey. This criterion alone eliminates possibilities of a Pied Wagtail. The rump and tail-centres are yellow-olive. The lower parts are yellow, with the flanks paler, if visible. The dark remiges have white bases, which are easily visible in flight. The tail is very long, proportionally much longer than the Pied Wagtail. It is black in the centre with three pairs of external rectrices white, clearly visible in flight. The legs are pinkish-brown. The breeding female resembles the male but has no black bib; she has only some small grey-brown spots. In winter her lower parts are noticeably less yellow except for the tail-centres. The flanks are whitish. The juvenile resembles a pale female. The grey of the upper parts is slightly tinged with olive. The underside is whitish with the breast, if visible, cream to pale salmon. The specific criterion is that the yellow is confined to the tail-central area. A juvenile Pied Wagtail would appear browner in tone with a more distinct eyebrow, and would lack any yellow colouration.Its tail is also much shorter.