Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba)Where and when to see it in the UK
Resident · reporting peaks September to November · Wagtails and Pipits · BOU category AF
Peak months
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (grid squares, place names from OS Open Names). Northern Ireland place names: OSNI Open Data, OGL v3.0. County and country boundaries: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence v3.0. Coastline: Natural Earth. Bird records from the data partners listed here.
Pied Wagtail has been recorded in 2,901 of the 2,971 10 km squares covering UK land (98%) in records to 2026. Resident in the UK. Its strongest squares are in England, Scotland and Wales. Reporting peaks in September to November.
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, LC)
View on the IUCN Red List- Very high
- 40% or more of visits
- High
- 25% to 40%
- Moderate
- 14% to 25%
- Low
- under 14%
- Surveyed, not recorded
- at least 20 qualifying visits, no record
- Insufficient records
- too few visits to say
- Lighter fill
- Few visits, lower confidence
- Small dot
- Occasional: a single record, or out of season
Relative to this species' best squares (how classes are calculated)
Seasonality
| Month | Relative to peak | Share of visits | Typical class |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 64% | 23% | Low |
| February | 60% | 21% | Low |
| March | 77% | 27% | Very high |
| April | 83% | 29% | Very high |
| May | 76% | 27% | Very high |
| June | 73% | 26% | Very high |
| July | 77% | 27% | Very high |
| August | 75% | 26% | Very high |
| September | 86% | 30% | Very high |
| October | 100% | 35% | Very high |
| November | 92% | 33% | Very high |
| December | 75% | 26% | Very high |
Squares with the highest reporting rate in September
| Square | Where | Share of visits | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| C41 | Derry City and Strabane, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| C63 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H86 | Mid Ulster, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| HY45 | Orkney Islands, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| J03 | Newry, Mourne and Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J14 | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J26 | Lisburn and Castlereagh, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J28 | Antrim and Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J55 | Newry, Mourne and Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| NB20 | Na h-Eileanan Siar, Scotland | 100% | Very high |