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Wagtail comments by Sibley



Here are some comments from David Sibley on the wagtail, forwarded with 
permission.

------- Forwarded message follows -------

I was very interested to look at the wagtail photos you posted from NC, 
since the separation of White and Black-backed can be very tricky and both 
species have been recorded in eastern North America. I was shocked, however, 
to see that the NC bird has no dark eyeline, which excludes both Black-
backed and the Siberian form of White Wagtail. As far as I know this bird is 
a first documented *North American* record of any of the "white-faced" 
subspecies of White Wagtail! The most likely is the European subspecies M. 
a. alba which nests as far north and west as Iceland, but I don't know 
enough to rule out the British form (Pied Wagtail, subspecies M. a. 
yarellii) or to know if there are other subspecies farther afield that could 
be confused. No matter what it is a first for North America.  

Congratulations! A very exciting record and nice photos.
David Sibley

------- End of forwarded message -------

-- 
Charles W. "Will" Cook                  w 919-660-7423
http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook            cwcook@duke.edu
Biology Dept., Duke Univ., Box 90340, Durham, NC 27708