wagtail

American  

[wag-teyl] / ˈwægˌteɪl /

noun

1. any of numerous small, chiefly Old World birds of the family Motacillidae, having a slender body with a long, narrow tail that is habitually wagged up and down.

2. any of several similar birds, as the water thrushes of the genus Seiurus.

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wagtail British  

/ ˈwæɡˌteɪl /

noun

1. any of various passerine songbirds of the genera Motacilla and Dendronanthus, of Eurasia and Africa, having a very long tail that wags when the bird walks: family Motacillidae

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Etymology

Origin of wagtail

First recorded in 1500–10; wag + tail ¹

Example Sentences

This, one of the common Yellow Wagtails of the Continent, is a rare visitor in this country.

From British Birds in their Haunts by Johns, Rev. C. A.

The Wagtails and Pipits are closely-allied forms, and are usually referred to the same family of Oscines.

From Argentine Ornithology, Volume I (of 2) A descriptive catalogue of the birds of the Argentine Republic. by Hudson, W. H. (William Henry)

These handsome Wagtails are common in summer on the coasts and islands of Bering Sea, nesting on the ground under tufts of grass or beside stones, usually in marshy ground.

From The Bird Book Illustrating in natural colors more than seven hundred North American birds; also several hundred photographs of their nests and eggs. by Reed, Chester A. (Chester Albert)

Wagtails and titmice build concealed nests, and the females are nearly as gay as their mates.

From Contributions to the Theory of Natural Selection A Series of Essays by Wallace, Alfred Russel

A struggle between two pairs of Pied Wagtails is worth mentioning.

From Territory in Bird Life by Howard, H. Eliot