Historical record: This record was not submitted by observers. It was compiled and made available here as part of the Bird Society of Singapore's effort to make historical records more easily accessible. Click here to read more about this initiative.
| Species | White Wagtail Motacilla alba |
|---|---|
| Record ID | 905 |
| Date | 09 Jan 2020 |
| Location | Harvest Link |
| Count | 1 individual |
| Subspecies | alba |
| Date added | 25 Oct 2021 |
| Background |
|---|
| ID features based on the photograph: White face rules out taxa with eye stripes, white on sides of neck rules out taxa that have complete black ring around the neck, leaving alba, dukhunsis, leucopsis, baicalensis. Dark throat rules out leucopsis and baicalensis. Hence, the taxa is either alba or dukhunsis. HBW states that "dukhunensis has upperparts on average somewhat paler, more blue-grey, than nominate, more white on wing-coverts (sometimes forming unbroken panel)". However Frank Rheindt mentioned (pers comms) that "the wing panel in baicalensis doesn’t have to be completely white early in the season. It often shows the two white wingbars as a starting point. The shape of the bib leaves no doubt, especially the two lateral extensions.". This feature presumably would be variable in dukhunsis as well. |
| Verdict | Accepted / Wild (Verifiable) |
|---|
Bird Society of Singapore. (2021). Record 905: White Wagtail Motacilla alba. Retrieved August 23, 2025, from https://records.singaporebirds.com/record/905/.