Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinerea
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyMotacillidae (Wagtails and Pipits)
- GenusMotacilla (Wagtails)
- SpeciesMotacilla cinerea (Grey Wagtail)
The grey wagtail (Motacilla cinerea) is a member of the wagtail family, Motacillidae, measuring around 18–19 cm overall length. The species looks somewhat similar to the yellow wagtail but has the yellow on its underside restricted to the throat and vent. Breeding males have a black throat. The species is widely distributed, with several populations breeding in Eurosiberia and migrating to tropical regions in Asia and Africa. The species is always associated with running water when breeding, although they may use man-made structures near streams for the nest. Outside the breeding season, they may also be seen around lakes, coasts and other watery habitats. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Grey Wagtail sighting in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, based on 559 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Sierra de Guadarrama National Park
White Wagtail
Motacilla alba
Western Yellow Wagtail
Motacilla flava
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensis
Water Pipit
Anthus spinoletta
Tawny Pipit
Anthus campestris
Tree Pipit
Anthus trivialis
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebs
Eurasian Blackbird
Turdus merula
Great Tit
Parus major
European Robin
Erithacus rubecula
Eurasian Magpie
Pica pica
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Grey Wagtail in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park?
About 14% of wildlife watchers report a Grey Wagtail sighting in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, based on 559 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Grey Wagtail in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park?
December has the highest sighting rate for Grey Wagtail in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park in our monthly data.