"Alba" Wagtails

[Deb London]

I am totally skeptical that someone manage to identify an "Alba"/White Wagtail flying overhead today. They recorded the observation on the internet.

But am I right to distrust what I have read?

[Kayleigh]

It depends if you trust the persons view and knowledge or if you know the person if not make your own judgement.
If they don't know their birds wagtails are really difficult to tell apart and they will be coming into their winter plumage I think so can add to the confusion...maybe..

[Deb London]

How do they manage to even see them long enough? The differences are subtle. I wouldn't even know whether I've ever seen one as I hear that they are difficult to tell apart from photos. In the air? I'm not sure you can.

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by Deb London

How do they manage to even see them long enough? The differences are subtle. I wouldn't even know whether I've ever seen one as I hear that they are difficult to tell apart from photos. In the air? I'm not sure you can.

Yes its very difficult..see what the expert wab birders think..

[tigertom]

I think it would be very difficult to id a wagtail as an alba in fight due to plumage variations in both alba and yarrellii and certianly not a call I would make my self
MIKE

[solus]

I suspect they were referring to an "alba" wagtail as meaning "either Pied or White", that is, unidentifiable to race but definitely Motacilla alba - pretty standard terminology (or it certainly used to be!) for log calls on Scilly in the Good Ol' Days!

Remember M a alba is the Continental form/race while the UK's resident birds are M.a yarrellii and at this time of year birds are often just called as "Alba Wagtails", especially when poorly seen or in flight.

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by solus

I suspect they were referring to an "alba" wagtail as meaning "either Pied or White", that is, unidentifiable to race but definitely Motacilla alba - pretty standard terminology (or it certainly used to be!) for log calls on Scilly in the Good Ol' Days!

Remember M a alba is the Continental form/race while the UK's resident birds are M.a yarrellii and at this time of year birds are often just called as "Alba Wagtails", especially when poorly seen or in flight.

This will be precisely what has been meant. I believe I know where you saw the report Deb, and I know for a fact that the observer concerned would not claim to be able to separate the two races of M. alba in flight overhead.

Relatively few M . alba alba ('continental White Wagtails) are claimed in the autumn because of the difficulty of separating them from 1st winter M. alba yarrelli (Pied), but they probably pass through the UK in larger numbers than during the spring (so it is potentially inaccurate to identify flyovers as 'Pied').

[Deb London]

Thanks for everyone's input. I had never heard this terminology before. Glad I got this cleared up because it would have been bugging me for weeks.