For decades, the great yellow wagtail only came to Brussels to spend the winter, but today the colorful bird feels at home in the city all year round.
Twenty years ago the bird could only be spotted in the Ardennes, but today a walk along the Channel is sufficient. “The big yellow one is the only wagtail in the city,” says Gerald Driessens, expert at Natuurpunt. “And it’s a beauty too.”
The eighteen centimeter bird constantly bobs up and down with its long black tail. Males can be recognized by their yellow-feathered chest and belly and black throat, females by their yellow back and gray underside. The white stripe around the mouth and eyes is also noticeable, as is their call: a metallic, loud ‘tzip-dip’.
“The return of the greater yellow wagtail shows that water quality is improving.”
“Compared to twenty or thirty years ago, the species increased enormously,” says Driessens. “That has everything to do with the improving water quality. Obviously there is still room for improvement, but his return shows that the efforts in that area are paying off.”
Without (running) water there is no big yellow mercury, although the bird seems to be becoming less picky in that area too. Its habitat is so extensive that it appears at almost every urban pond. In addition to a tasty snack – including caddisflies, stoneflies and small snails – the water also offers a cozy place to nest. “The bridges over the Brussels canal are favorite breeding grounds,” says Driessens.
The wagtails now in Brussels are both locals and from Scandinavia. “Many birds do not migrate all the way south, but sooner stop or do not even leave at all. The big risk remains that they will not survive a severe winter blow.”
This article is originally published on bruzz.be
