Birding Goa: Wagtails

Even though this blog is only about the Birds of Goa, some posts are also going to be of my trips in other states. This one is going to be about the migratory wagtails I saw in my maternal hometown, Sangli. This is a beautiful district in South Maharashtra. Thousand of Grey, White and Yellow Wagtails migrate to one spot every year. The banks of R.Krishna are loaded with migratory wagtails from late September-early October to late March-early April. Yellow Wagtails tend to stay on till the 3rd week of April.

Yellow Wagtail-race 'Thunbergi'

Yellow Wagtail-race 'Beema'

These wagtails are hard to identify when it comes to their race. Like in the two photos above there is a significant amount of difference between the heads of the to birds. Race 'Beema' has a light grey crown and forehead with a white eyebrow, while race 'Thunbergi' has a Blackish Grey crown and forehead. If, studied properly one can also find difference between the calls of each race of the species.

Fellow birdwatcher and teacher, Sharad Apte, a native to the city of Sangli records calls and studies them. Wagtails are on of his favourite species and he has come to the conclusion that calls differ between the different races.

White Wagtail-race 'Personata'

White Wagtail-race 'Personata' first win.

The first winter plumages of these birds differ a lot compared to when they are fully mature. Most of our wintering Wagtails like the White, Grey and Yellow are found in or near the vegitation near fast flowing river.

Very places have habitat like this in Goa. Wagtails are mostly insectivorous and feed on worms and other small insects on the ground.

Other birds found near or in the river