White Wagtail - bird that breaks the ice

The white wagtail is an ordinary insectivorous bird, which is fairly easy to identify by its elegant appearance: a long, constantly swaying tail, black crown and neck, and the belly, forehead and cheeks are white. However, the color of this bird varies slightly depending on the habitat.

White Wagtail Breaks the Tail of Ice

In the old days this bird was called "sinochka" or "plisk". Early in the spring, after seeing the wagtail arriving, the old people used to say: "Sinochka flew ice on the river to break it." They either joking, or seriously believed that this bird, running on the ice, breaks it with his swaying tail. But no matter how it was, soon after the arrival of the messenger of spring, the ice drift begins.

Where the White Wagtail Loves to Live

The favorite habitats of this bird are the shores of lakes, rivers and streams. The Germans, for example, call it "a stream runner" for this. For the wagtail, the main thing is that on the shores of the selected reservoirs there should not be thick thickets. Then you can move without interference in the shallows. And if there is a human habitation nearby, then for our bird - it's just a gift of fate. After all, a person who does not fear the wagtail at all, there are always many secluded places where you can build a nest. By the way, according to the variants of the location of its nests, a white wagtail, the photo of which is placed here, is unrivaled. Its structures can be found in the mailbox, in the woodpile, in the hollow of the tree, in the abandoned harvester, and even in the chimney.

Wagtail nest

Due to the variety of places where the nest is built, the building material used for it is also varied. Somewhere in the pit, on the ground the nest is lined with thin grass and leaves, and on the banks of rivers, in brickwork or a pipe - it is made of disheveled stems and razmochalennyh leaves lined with woolen fibers. But in any case - it's a small bowl, insulated with animal hair and horsehair. There the female will lay 6 small eggs covered with pale spots. By the way, it is considered that if a wagtail settles in your house, it will bring good luck.

How to feed a white wagtail

To get yourself food, the wagtail runs for most of the time on the ground. She moves with her stepping steps, like a balancing actor on a rope, balancing her tail and now and then making attacks behind the midge. But sometimes it can rise behind an insect and on a high altitude. Probably, that's why wagtails are so fond of smooth tracks, dense trampled soil or wet sand.

Wagtail White - Birdy Bird

Wagtail has a cheerful restless character. The male with desperate courage protects the nesting place. In addition, having seen the predator, the birds gather in a flock and with loud cries begin to pursue him, simultaneously warning everyone around about the danger. And often this behavior of the wagtail makes the predator refuse hunting. And to their chicks they show great attention and care. So, it is known that a pair of wagtails that built a nest on the boat did not leave the hatched chicks and continued to feed them during the voyage.