Cover photo by Eliza Hawkins
White Wagtail photo by Eliza Hawkins
Click for updates
(updated February 16, 2023)
What’s black and white—with some gray—and constantly waggles its tail? No bird you’d expect to see in Florida!
On November 27, 2022 AAS member Juli deGrummond and her husband were birding at Lake Elberta Park in Tallahassee when she saw a bird she’d never seen before—a White Wagtail (Motacilla alba). While this is a common bird throughout the eurasian continent and parts of North Africa, it most definitely is a rare bird when found in North America. It’s so rare that birders consider it a mega-rarity!
The first sighting was at Lake Elberta Park on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, but it wasn’t identified until Juli posted the ID in her eBird checklist and word got around. Since then, the bird has been visiting the park and another nearby pond on Mill Street (the one south of Kissimmee Street) on a daily basis, the most recent being on November 30. As of that date, more than 50 checklists that include the wagtail have been submitted to eBird.
White Wagtail at Mill Street pond. Photo by Karen Willes
What is a wagtail? Where did it come from and how did it get here? Where can you find it? Come back to this page for more information and updates as this story develops. This bird may be here for the winter (We hope!) or just passing through. Only time will tell . . .
Birders from near and afar viewing the White Wagtail at Mill Street Pond. NOTE: This pond is south of the Junction Park pond (with an aerator). One person reported a sighting at Junction Park, but it’s been spending more time at the south pond. Photo by Eliza Hawkins
Location Updates
February 16, 2023: Ongoing episodes of rain have kept the mudflats at both Lake Elberta Park and the Mills Street pond flooded, which may have compelled the wagtail to forage elsewhere. Or he may have started his return migration.
February 8, 2023: Reported on eBird for the morning, just before 8:00 AM, at Lake Elberta Park.
February 6, 2023: Reported on eBird for the morning, seen at Lake Elberta Park. “Foraging on exposed mudflats on the west side of lake (north side of peninsula) when we arrived at 7:20 AM. Was still present at 8:00 AM when we departed.” Click to see Photo.
February 5, 2023: Intermittent rain events have kept the mudflats at Lake Elberta flooded and no eBird observations were reported between January 29 and February 4. Today, one eBirder posted his sighting, with photos, of the wagtail on an exposed area of dirt at Lake Elberta Park, seen around 7:30 AM. Click to see photo.
January 26, 2023: The mud flats are flooded from yesterday’s rain, but it was seen at Lake Elberta Park, around 11:30 AM, along the walking path, southwest corner, and flying down to and perching on weedy wrack.
White Wagtail perched on weedy wrack in the lake. Photo by Melanie Furr.
January 25, 2023: Heavy rains today as storms moved through the area. Bird’s foraging mudflats will likely flood. May or may not visit the park.
January 24, 2023: Clear sunny day. Wagtail was seen at Lake Elberta Park on the north side of the marshy spit around noon.
January 22, 2023: Observed at Lake Elberta Park on January 20 & 21. Heavy rain on January 22 will likely rule out any sightings at the park because the mud flats where the wagtail forages will be flooded. At the Mill St. Pond, it was seen on road parallel to pond.
January 17, 2023: Observed in the late afternoon at Lake Elberta Park.
January 14 & 15, 2023: The wagtail was sighted at Lake Elberta Park on these two dates between 3-5 PM. No eBirdreports filed since January 8 for the Mill Street pond. Video below shows the bird grooming, then in motion demonstrating its namesake tail wagging behavior.
January 1, 2023:
The wagtail is a continuing rarity at both Lake Elberta Park and the Mill St. Pond. It generally forages on the mudflats bordering the little peninsula at Lake Elberta in the early morning and visits the Mill St. Pond in the afternoon, seen at 3:45 PM on January 1.
Friday, December 2, Update
An eBird report this morning found the bird at the Mill Street Pond. Flew in from NW at 7:58 AM. In middle mudflat. Left around 8:20 AM.
Thursday, December 1 Update
Yesterday’s rain left the mud flats at Lake Elberta flooded, but the bird was seen that afternoon at the Mill Street pond. It was sighted at this location on this morning as well.
