By the title, you would assume, we are talking about dogs wagging their tails. But wagging tails is not just a canine phenomenon.
Many birds wag their tails too and some cannot stop it and compulsively keep wagging their tails, so much so that their whole family has earned the name of “Wagtails”.
Wagtails are colorful, slender & active birds under genus “Motacilla”. Most of them are migratory to our region, flying long distances from their breeding grounds across Central Asia, Temperate Europe, East China or closer home from Himalayan highlands.
Every winter season, you can spot these hyperactive birds which mostly feed on ground. In our parks, when maalis water the grass, it’s not uncommon to see a few of them, fly down to grassy patches and pick some easy grub.
Amongst the common ones we see are White Wagtail and Yellow Wagtails, both of which show a lot of variation in their coloration. The next common one is Citrine Wagtail but that is more commonly seen around open countryside, so if you head towards Sohna, Palwal or Basai, in the open fields, these can be easily spotted. Citrine is characterized by a clear yellow face with yellow curving behind its ears.
While Yellow Wagtail has all shades of yellow but doesn’t have the yellow face of Citrine. Only one Wagtail is resident and that’s White-browed Wagtail. True to its name, it has a neat white eyebrow on an otherwise blackish/deep grayish body. A more uncommon species is Grey Wagtail, which is found solitary near flowing streams and drains. It also looks very close to Yellow Wagtail but has a longer tail and a deep yellow vent as identification features. They spend winter months in South India. In Valparai, a group of children watch these Grey Wagtails every year as they arrive, welcoming them as their guests. These children create a list of wagtails seen and heard and upload them on ebird, a citizen science initiative. This has given some very meaningful insights into the migratory patterns of these wonderful birds.
Wagtails are called Khanjan in Hindi. Ramcharitmanas penned by Tulsidas mentions Khanjan multiple times. Khanjan is used to refer to anyone who cannot stay still or is always fidgeting, but in a way of beauty and brilliance.
The forest of Sundarvan in Bhagalpur is described as full of Khanjan birds while Sita’s brilliantly darting eyes are likened to Khanjan when she playfully darts a glance at Ram, for a group of ladies who are quizzing her on her partner.
Wagtails are fascinating to watch. For their beautiful plumages and hyper energy. Look out for these beautiful guests around you and share your sightings on ebird.org.
