Grey Wagtails

Grey Wagtail on the roof

Wagtails are fairly common in and around Shimoga, but the Grey Wagtails are special - they are only winter visitors to our parts. As its name says, it  has a grey head and shoulders, dark wings, but most importantly, yellow underbelly. I first got the impression that this might be the Yellow Wagtail, but some help clarified that issue.

Like other wagtails, it keeps wagging its tail continuously, hopping to and fro in search of food. A very active bird, this can be seen closer to gardens and scrubs, most easily during the months of December and January near Shimoga.

Salim Ali notes that these nest only in the Himalayas in India, that too only during the summer. But they descend from the mountains during the winter can be seen throughout India.

Scientific name for these birds is Motacilla cinerea Tunstall