Wagtail: a migratory bird or not? We will know for sure!

A small and funny bird wagtail is known to almost everyone. You can see it almost all the year round. The range of its habitat is huge, it stretches from the arctic deserts to the Asiatic deserts . It occurs even in Iceland and China. By the way, is a wagtail a migratory bird or not?

This is not an idle question, since in some regions it is considered settled, whereas in others it is claimed that every winter this bird flies away.

In this issue, and in fact, everything is not so simple. Scientists believe that their victorious procession around the world of the wagtail began somewhere in Africa. Yes, and the characteristics of all populations suggest that it occurs somewhere from the south. So who is this wagtail: a migratory bird or not?

Ornithologists say that on most of its extensive range this bird performs regular winter flights. But in Southern Europe and in Africa there are such populations that do not fly anywhere for the winter.

The issue with the seasonal change of places can also arise because among this species there is a high percentage of polymorphism when birds from different places look quite different. They can be confused with other species, which is why the dispute arose.

In our country the wagtail is a migratory bird, which returns to the homeland during the beginning of the opening of the rivers from the ice. As a rule, it happens sometime in late March.

By the way, immediately after the arrival these birds like to keep close to the ice rivers and thawed patches, why people jokingly say that it is the wagtail that breaks the ice. A migratory bird or not - we have already figured out, but what happens in the transition zones of Central Asia?

It is not accidental that we focused on this issue. In those parts the climate is very harsh (however strange it may sound). The fact is that the summer months are often characterized by a suffocating heat and a scorching sun, while winter can by its severity hit even the indigenous Siberian.

A good example is Mongolia. In summer, the temperature can approach +60 degrees Celsius, and in winter, go far down, for a mark of -20 degrees. Since the wagtail behaves like a bird (the photo of which is in the article) in such conditions?

That's where it shows all its uniqueness! In the same Mongolia, there are almost a dozen subspecies of the parent, which in their appearance and habits strongly differ from it.

So, some of them are almost endemic, leaving their homes only in the case of extremely harsh winters, and some wagtails make long flights even in summer, easily forming new hybrids.

The only quality that unites all representatives of this unique species is their strange craving for man and man-made landscapes. If there is a large city near the habitat of a certain area, then practically all the birds will settle in its line.

By the way, there is another oddity: in large settlements, wagtails often change their habits, and then part of the population remains in the same place even in winter. Of course, this can be explained by the richness of the fodder base, but other birds do not do that!

She's such a wagtail. A migratory bird or not, it is difficult to say with certainty, since a number of factors can influence this.