Motacilla cinerea -- Tunstall, 1771ANIMALIA -- CHORDATA -- AVES -- PASSERIFORMES -- MOTACILLIDAECommon names: Grey Wagtail; Bergeronnette des ruisseaux; Gray Wagtail

European Red List AssessmentEuropean Red List Status

LC -- Least Concern, (IUCN version 3.1)

Assessment InformationYear published: 2015Date assessed: 2015-03-31Assessor(s): BirdLife InternationalReviewer(s): Symes, A.Compiler(s): Ashpole, J., Burfield, I., Ieronymidou, C., Pople, R., Wheatley, H. & Wright, L.Assessment RationaleEuropean regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)EU27 regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)

At both European and EU27 scales this species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence 10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). The population trend is not known, but the population is not believed to be decreasing sufficiently rapidly to approach the thresholds under the population trend criterion (30% decline over ten years or three generations).

For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern within both Europe and the EU27.

OccurrenceCountries/Territories of OccurrenceNative:Albania; Andorra; Armenia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Faroe Islands (to DK); Estonia; Finland; France; Georgia; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Iceland; Ireland, Rep. of; Italy; Latvia; Liechtenstein; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Malta; Montenegro; Netherlands; Norway; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Russian Federation; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Turkey; Ukraine; United Kingdom; Gibraltar (to UK)Vagrant:Belarus

PopulationThe European population is estimated at 689,000-1,980,000 pairs, which equates to 1,380,000-3,960,000 mature individuals. The population in the EU27 is estimated at 520,000-1,340,000 pairs, which equates to 1,040,000-2,670,000 mature individuals. For details of national estimates, see Supplementary PDF.

TrendIn Europe and the EU27 the population size trend is unknown. For details of national estimates, see Supplementary PDF.

Habitats and EcologyThis species inhabits fast-flowing mountain streams and rivers with riffles and exposed rocks or shoals, often in forested areas. It is also found in more lowland watercourses, even canals, where there are artificial waterfalls, weirs, millraces or lock gates. Outside of the breeding season it occupies a wider variety of habitats, including farmyards, sewage farms, forest tracks and even town centres (Tyler 2004). The breeding season is from the end of March to Early August, however in Europe, most eggs are laid from April to May (Snow and Perrins 1998). It is monogamous and both sexes build the nest which is a typical platform and cup of coarser material, lined with finer grasses, root fibres and often horse hair. It is generally sited on a rock ledge, in a crevice in a riverbank, or often on a ledge in a wall, under a bridge or in a drainpipe. Clutches can

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be from three to seven eggs. It feeds mainly on insects but also takes freshwater shrimps (Gammarus), terrestrial snails (Mollusca) and spiders (Araneae) (Tyler 2004). The species is mainly a partial migrant in central and Atlantic regions of Europe, a full migrant in northern and eastern Europe and resident or locally dispersive in Britain, Ireland, Belgium, France, Iberia and the Mediterranean (Hagemeijer and Blair 1997).Habitats & Altitude

Habitat (level 1 - level 2) Importance OccurrenceArtificial/Aquatic - Canals and Drainage Channels, Ditches suitable non-breedingArtificial/Aquatic - Wastewater Treatment Areas suitable non-breedingArtificial/Terrestrial - Arable Land suitable non-breedingArtificial/Terrestrial - Urban Areas suitable non-breedingGrassland - Temperate suitable non-breedingWetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over ha) major breedingWetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over ha) major non-breedingWetlands (inland) - Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) major breedingWetlands (inland) - Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) major non-breedingAltitude max. 4100 m Occasional altitudinal limits

ThreatsThe species is vulnerable to severe winters which may produce significant although short term declines (Hagemeijer and Bair 1997, Tyler 2004).Threats & Impacts

Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and StressesClimate change & severe weather

Temperature extremes

Timing Scope Severity ImpactPast, Likely to Return

Majority (50-90%) Causing/Could cause fluctuations

Past Impact

StressesSpecies mortality

ConservationConservation Actions UnderwayBern Convention Appendix II. There are currently no known conservation measures for this species.

Conservation Actions ProposedNo conservation measures are currently needed for this species.

BibliographyHagemeijer, W.J.M. and Blair, M.J. 1997. The EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds: Their Distribution and Abundance. T & A D Poyser, London.Snow, D.W. and Perrins, C.M. 1998. The Birds of the Western Palearctic vol. 2: Passerines. Oxford University Press, Oxford.Tyler, S. 2004. Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. and de Juana, E. (eds.) 2014. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/node/57830 on 23 March 2015).

Map (see overleaf)