Scientific name: Motacilla alba Linnaeus, 1758
Bird group: Wagtails
Field characters. 18 cm. Larger than Yellow Wagtail and Grey Wagtail, without any yellow. Crown, chin and breast black, forehead, face and cheeks white, back grey, wings black and white, underparts white, long black tail with white outer tail feathers. In winter plumage face much whiter and black reduced to narrow breast band. Black crown of male sharply demarcated from grey back, not so in female. Moves by walking; wags its tail constantly. Juvenile browner, without pronounced head pattern of adults and with narrow breastband, like adult in winter plumage. Flight undulating, with deep arcs. During breeding season found in pairs or family groups; outside breeding season often in communal roosts of hundreds or thousands birds. The above plumage description fits the subspecies alba, which breeds on the continent. The subspecies yarrellii from the British Isles has completely black upperparts, more white in wings and black flanks; female is slightly greyer, but always has more white in wing, dark flanks and black rump (rump of alba always grey, but often difficult to see).
Voice. Call 'tissick', less sharp than in Grey Wagtail. Song subdued warbling twitter, mixed with calls.
Distribution. Common throughout the year in western and southern part of region, summer visitor to Scandinavian and central European countries.
Habitat. Varied, often near human settlements. Requires open space with low vegetation. Near pastures, villages, parks, etc., often in vicinity of water.
Food. Mainly invertebrates. Hunts by walking or running after prey, or taking it after aerial pursuit.