BirdFellow - Birding services, social networking, and habitat conservation

Wagtails and Pipits

10 Bird Species

American Pipit

This species is recognized by its slender build, white outer tail feathers, and constant tail-bobbing. Several subspecies occur, creating a lot of variation. Alternate Adult: Birds that breed in the Rocky Mountains are pale gray above, with light edges on the wing feathers. The underparts, cheek, and more...

Length: 15 cm Wingspan: 25 cm

Citrine Wagtail

Distinctive, brightly colored wagtail. Adult male is nearly unmistakable with a brilliant yellow head, dark eye on a plain face, thin dark bill and black across the nape that frames the face. Crown, back, and rump are medium to dark gray. Folded wings show dark gray coverts with two broad white wingb more...

Length: 17 cm Wingspan: 26 cm

Eastern Yellow Wagtail

A lanky, pipit-like Eurasian bird; breeds in parts of Alaska. Alternate male has yellow underparts, greenish back, gray wings, relatively long black tail with white outer feathers, white throat and supercilium, black cheeks and crown, and short, thin, black bill. Female and basic male are similar wit more...

Length: 17 cm Wingspan: 24 cm

Gray Wagtail

A rare visitor to Alaska. Alternate Adult male is similar to Eastern Yellow Wagtail, with rich yellow underparts, black wings, and grayish head, but note gray back, relatively long tail, clean wings lacking wing bars, black throat patch, yellow rump, and pink legs. Basic male lacks throat patch; fema more...

Length: 20 cm Wingspan: 26 cm

Olive-backed Pipit

Asian species; rare visitor to Northwestern North America. Small brownish ground-dwelling songbird, similar to other pipits, but note faintly streaked greenish-olive back, pale supercilium with orange mark in front of eye, dark rear auriculars, whitish throat, buffy breast with thick dark streaks, wh more...

Length: 15 cm Wingspan: 26 cm

Pechora Pipit

Medium-sized, heavily-streaked pipit. Faintly streaked brownish auriculars. Thin, indistinct, short white supercilium. Upperparts generally dark brown, back shows conspicuous alternating white and blackish streaks. White sub-moustachial stripe and very thin dark malar stripe broadening to thick base. more...

Length: 14 cm Wingspan: 24 cm

Red-throated Pipit

A rare Asian visitor to Western North America. Alternate Adult is like American Pipit but has heavy black streaks on sides, pale streaks on back, and orange-red wash on head, throat, and upper breast. Males tend to be more brightly colored on the face. Basic Adults and immatures are nearly identical; more...

Length: 16 cm Wingspan: 26 cm

Sprague's Pipit

Compared to other pipits, Sprague's is more buffy brown overall and less patterned in the face, accentuating the eye. It also has more white on the outer tail feathers, and appears bulky and shorter-tailed. Adult: The back and crown are dark brown with pale streaks. The wings show two indistinct whit more...

Length: 16 cm Wingspan: 25 cm

Tree Pipit

A brown pipit with a relatively plain face and moderately streaked back. Brown overall with a whitish throat and underparts. Subtle pale-buff supercilium and sub-moustachial stripe. Pale bill. Buffy wash on breast and flanks. Heavy, dark streaks on breast. Sparse flank streaks are much thinner than t more...

Length: 15 cm Wingspan: 26 cm

White Wagtail

As suggested by its name, this small black-and-white Asian songbird persistently wags or pumps its tail up and down. Plumage is highly variable depending on age and subspecies. There are two distinctive types: East Asian "Black-backed" form (M. a. lugens), formerly considered a separate species, bree more...

Length: 18 cm Wingspan: 27 cm