Grey Wagtail

Today's the day ………………………. to wag your tail

Why is it that wagtails wag their tails?  Well apparently there's no one clear reason why they do it - but according to the experts, it is almost certainly something that has evolved for social signalling and improved feeding efficiency. 

All the wagtails - pied, yellow and grey - feed exclusively on insects and their tails are an enormous benefit to them in catching food.  They have two distinct techniques that they use. Firstly, when picking insects off the ground they walk or run along repeatedly picking up small items and chasing more mobile prey such as beetles and small spiders. Their tails will be seen wagging and snapping up and down or even to the sides, apparently to flush insects. Grey wagtails, like the one above, are also known to wade into shallow water picking up tadpoles or even lunging for small fry. Again, the tail will help power this.
 
The other feeding method that wagtails use is flycatching, moving from a perch off the ground or even sometimes intermittently or continuously hovering to snap at flying insects. Quite often when flycatching, wagtails take the prey using a zig-zag flight, tumbling and circling with the tail acting as a rudder.

There's definitely method in their madness ……………………!