Motacilla alba
Silhouette: Martin Bulla, based on Ren Hathway's illustration · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
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.
It is the national bird of Latvia and has featured on the stamps of several countries. It is listed as being 'of least concern' by IUCN. The white wagtail was one of the many species originally described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae, and it still bears its... Wikipedia →
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prague Zoo | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 2 | Parc zoologique de Montpellier | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Alpenzoo Innsbruck | 🇦🇹 Austria | |
| 4 | Rákosův pavilon | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 5 | Velemlokárium | 🇨🇿 Czechia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a White Wagtail sighting in Satpura National Park on a given day, based on 55 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 142nd most-seen of the 259 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February–March and December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a White Wagtail in Satpura National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January and April–November, the lowest months. Those are among Satpura National Park's driest months, with about 10 mm of rain a month against 690 mm in July.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White Wagtail sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
46th of 56
Of the 56 parks where we can rate White Wagtail sightings, Satpura National Park ranks 46th at about 10%. The best odds are in Vanoise National Park (France, about 70%), Vatnajokull National Park (Iceland, about 70%) and Fertő-Hanság National Park (Hungary, about 60%). All parks ranked.
Same genus: Motacilla
The closest relatives of the White Wagtail that you can see in Satpura National Park (genus Motacilla, Wagtails) are White-browed Wagtail (about 30%), Grey Wagtail (about 20%) and Western Yellow Wagtail (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White Wagtail is recorded against all the birds logged in Satpura National Park (55 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
