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GREY WAGTAIL
Motacilla cinerea
Grey Wagtail © Colin Varndell
 

• Population
  changes

• Productivity
  trends

• Additional
  information
Conservation listings
Europe: no SPEC category (favourable conservation status in Europe, not concentrated in Europe)
UK: amber (25–50% population decline)
Long-term trend
UK: probable shallow decline
UK population size
38,400–46,200 pairs in 2000 (1988–91 Atlas estimate updated using CBC and WBS trends: BiE04, APEP06)
Status summary
Grey Wagtails occur at highest densities along fast-flowing upland streams. WBS shows a fluctuating population size along waterways, with a fall during the late 1970s and early 1980s from an initial high point in 1974. The species has recently been moved from the green to the amber list, because of a 41% decline recorded between 1975 and 1999, but the current figures show that the population has entered a new phase of increase. The trends for Grey Wagtail are very similar to those for Pied Wagtail, suggesting that similar factors may be affecting these two species. Clutch and brood size of Grey Wagtails rose as the population fell, and are now getting smaller again. Nest failure rates have dropped substantially.
 

Population changes
WBS UK graph
 
BBS acknowledgement
 
BBS UK graph
BBS England graph
 

Productivity trends
 
Clutch size graph
Brood size graph
Egg nest failure graph
Chick nest failure graph
Laying date graph

 

 

Insufficient data on CES
available for this species
 

Additional information
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BirdWeb logo, click to go to BirdWeb

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This report should be cited as:
Baillie, S.R., Marchant, J.H., Crick, H.Q.P., Noble, D.G., Balmer, D.E., Barimore, C., Coombes, R.H.,
Downie, I.S., Freeman, S.N., Joys, A.C., Leech, D.I., Raven, M.J., Robinson, R.A. & Thewlis, R.M. (2007)
Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside: their conservation status 2007.
BTO Research Report No. 487. BTO, Thetford. (http://www.bto.org/birdtrends)

Pages maintained by Susan Waghorn and Iain Downie: Last updated 3 January, 2008