gray wagtail life span

[tigertom]

Reson I ask this is now that winter not far off (sorry to be saying that) how long do gray wagtails live as 4 years ago now one started to vist my garden was in its 1st winter then and have had one vist every year since and think its the same bird as it you can tell the time by it is normaly visting by mid dec then comes every day till end of feb. And will vist three times a day between 08.30 and 0930 then at between 12.00 and 13.30 and again an hour and half befor dark. How long do these bird normaly live and can I expect him again this year. He feeds on meal worms I put out for robins and dunnocks and spill from fat feeders.
thanks
MIKE

[artdemole]

Can live upto 8 years.

[angelika611]

i have one that has been visiting for 3 years,he hangs around most of the day in winter and still feeds while its getting dark,cant wait for him return help and feed him in the harsh winter.

[Elizabeth B]

I usually go to the BTO's Bird Facts site for this sort of information. Unfortunately all they have on adult survival for the grey wagtail is: Maximum Recorded Age: 7 years 0 months 1 days (set in 1989) There's lots of other info though.

BirdFacts | BTO - British Trust for Ornithology

[Dogghound]

Its unlikely it is the same bird.

[tigertom]

Originally Posted by Dogghound

Its unlikely it is the same bird.

intresting to know that like ive said always a male and dos keep time very well you can tell time by this bird will keep eye out just in case its a female this year.
MIKe

[John]

Why do you say that.

I had a Grey Wagtail that stayed with me from 25/09/2003 until 19/03/2004 then returned on 05/10/2004 until we left to live in Coventry on 05/12/2004.

This bird did the same things each and every day both in our garden and on the same car that was parked outside a butchers near our house.

It always went on its door mirror and then came into our garden for most of every day (sometimes roosting in a large Buddlea we had, but the thing that clinched it was when it would come to our patio door, tap on it and then wait for us to bring some carp feeding sticks it fed on.

It got used to picking the carp sticks off the surface of the pond after I had fed the fish so I got the idea of putting a large bowl of water on a table next to the patio window with a large stone on it. On the stone I lay a bowl with fat in it and in the water was a few carp sticks. (the fat was put there because I had noticed that it would feed on the fat I used to leave on a bird table).

Below are a couple of photos I took through the patio window.



John

Originally Posted by Dogghound

Its unlikely it is the same bird.

[Dogghound]

Sorry my post maybe did come across as being a little too dismissive.

[tigertom]

Up to 8 years so may he may well be back come Dec. If so will see if I can get a pic of him.

Dogghound I Do think your point was valid. though in this case I do think its the same bird going by his habbits and fact he knows my garden very well always flys down from roof 1st to edge of my pond then on ground feeder I have for meal worms then over to ground under fat feeder and then checks out round long grass and clover round my pond
MIKE

[operanut1972]

I got confused for a moment I thought you & John were talking about the same bird. spooky, but I'm wrong as per