Why are all our wagtails vanishing?

WAGTAILS are no longer regular visitors to British gardens because their population is in long-term decline, a report has warned.

However, researchers say the reasons behind the fall in their numbers are unclear. There are three wagtail species regularly spotted on our shores: the yellow wagtail ( pictured), a farmland bird that migrates to sub-Saharan Africa, and two which largely remain in the UK over the winter, the grey wagtail and the pied wagtail.

Yellow wagtails are in severe decline – the Breeding Bird Survey annual report reveals a 43 per cent drop between 1995 and 2012.

Researchers suggest changes in agricultural practices are behind the decline, but the species is a long-distance migrant so conditions overseas cannot be ruled out. The grey wagtail has declined by 32 per cent and the pied wagtail by 11 per cent.