The White Wagtail (Motacilla alba) is one of Sweden's most familiar birds, black, white and grey with a long tail that wags constantly as it runs across farmyards, beaches and rooftops. The breeding male has a black crown and nape, a white face, and a matte black bib on the throat and breast, set off by a grey back and wings with white wing patches and a white belly; the female is similar but has a grey rather than black crown and a greyer, often less complete breast patch. In winter both sexes show a paler breast patch with grey-edged black, with the male regaining full black only as the breeding season approaches. It measures 16–19 cm, has a wingspan of 25–30 cm and weighs 18–27 g.
The most reliable way to identify the species is its sharp, two-note flight call, "tsi-litt," given in its bouncing, undulating flight; the song is a simple, whispered string of these same notes, often delivered from rooftops in the morning. The White Wagtail nests in holes in walls, under roof tiles, in woodpiles and even mailboxes, building a cup of grass, moss and hair for a normal clutch of 5–6 grey-white, brown-speckled eggs, incubated for 12–14 days; pairs commonly raise two broods between April and July. It feeds mainly on insects such as flies, midges, beetles and ants, picked up while running rapidly across bare ground, farmyards, sports fields and shorelines, and readily nests around buildings, making it one of the most urbanised birds in Sweden. A short-distance migrant that winters in North Africa and around the Mediterranean, it arrives back in Sweden in late March — one of the surest signs of spring — with a Swedish population estimated at 500,000–800,000 pairs.
Read about this species in Swedish →