White Wagtail (Motacilla alba) in Scandinavia

The White Wagtail (Motacilla alba) is a wagtail found across Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. A slender songbird that constantly wags its long tail. It typically occurs in open ground near water.

In the Nordic countries the White Wagtail is best described as a summer visitor. Its global conservation status is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. On Fågelkartan you can see where it has been reported over the last 30 days, based on open data from the national species-observation systems.

Read about this species in Swedish →

More about the White Wagtail

  • White Wagtail – song & calls
  • White Wagtail – breeding

Quick facts

  • Scientific name: Motacilla alba
  • Family: Wagtails
  • Habitat: Open ground near water
  • Status in the Nordics: Summer visitor
  • IUCN Red List: Least Concern

More wagtails

  • Grey Wagtail
  • Western Yellow Wagtail
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