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Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinerea
Abstract
Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea has most recently been assessed for The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2025. Motacilla cinerea is listed as Least Concern.
The Red List Assessment
BirdLife International 2025. Motacilla cinerea. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T22718392A280921670. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-2.RLTS.T22718392A280921670.en. Accessed on 20 October 2026.
Language
English
Last assessed
28 May 2025
Scope of assessment
Global
Population trend
Stable
Number of mature individuals
11,000,000-24,000,000
Habitat and ecology
Grassland, Wetlands (inland), Artificial/Terrestrial, Artificial/Aquatic & Marine
Geographic range
-
Extant (resident)
-
Extant (breeding)
-
Extant (non-breeding)
Assessment Information
Global Assessment
IUCN Red List Category and Criteria - Global Assessment
Date assessed
28 May 2025
Year published
2025
Assessment Information in detail
Geographic Range
Native
Extant (resident)
Andorra; Austria; Azerbaijan; Belgium; Bulgaria; Croatia; Czechia; Hungary; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Ireland; Italy; Liechtenstein; Luxembourg; Netherlands; North Macedonia; Portugal; Romania; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Türkiye; United Kingdom
Extant (breeding)
Afghanistan; Albania; Armenia; Bosnia and Herzegovina; China; Estonia; Faroe Islands; Finland; Georgia; Iceland; India; Japan; Kazakhstan; Korea, Democratic People's Republic of; Korea, Republic of; Kyrgyzstan; Latvia; Mongolia; Montenegro; Nepal; Norway; Poland; Russian Federation (Central Asian Russia, Eastern Asian Russia, European Russia); Serbia; Taiwan, Province of China; Tajikistan; Turkmenistan; Ukraine; Uzbekistan
Extant (non-breeding)
Cyprus; Gibraltar; Malta; South Sudan
Extant (passage)
Qatar
Extant (seasonality uncertain)
Macao Special Administrative Region of China
Extant (resident)
Algeria; Bahrain; Bangladesh; Bhutan; Brunei Darussalam; Cambodia; Central African Republic; Christmas Island; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Denmark; Djibouti; Egypt; Eritrea; Ethiopia; France; Germany; Greece; Guinea-Bissau; Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China; Indonesia; Iraq; Israel; Jordan; Kenya; Kuwait; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Lebanon; Libya; Malawi; Malaysia; Mali; Mauritania; Morocco; Myanmar; Oman; Pakistan; Philippines; Rwanda; Saudi Arabia; Singapore; Somalia; Sri Lanka; Sudan; Syrian Arab Republic; Tanzania, United Republic of; Thailand; Timor-Leste; Tunisia; Uganda; United Arab Emirates; Viet Nam; Yemen
Extant & Vagrant (seasonality uncertain)
Belarus
Extant & Vagrant
Australia; Botswana; Cameroon; Canada; Guam; Maldives; Micronesia, Federated States of ; Namibia; Niger; Northern Mariana Islands; Palau; Senegal; Seychelles; South Africa; United States; Zambia; Zimbabwe
Number of locations
Upper elevation limit
4,100 metres
Lower elevation limit
0 metres
Upper depth limit
Lower depth limit
Geographic Range in detail
Population
Current population trend
Number of mature individuals
11,000,000-24,000,000
Population severely fragmented
No
Continuing decline of mature individuals
Unknown
Population in detail
Habitat and Ecology
Habitat type
Grassland, Wetlands (inland), Artificial/Terrestrial, Artificial/Aquatic & Marine
Generation length (years)
2.15 years
Congregatory
Movement patterns
Full Migrant
Continuing decline in area, extent and/or quality of habitat
Unknown
Habitat and Ecology in detail
Threats
Threats in detail
Use and Trade
Sport hunting/specimen collecting
Local:
✔
National:
✔
International:
✘
Pets/display animals, horticulture
Local:
✔
National:
✔
International:
✘
Food - human
Local:
✔
National:
✔
International:
✘
Use and Trade in detail
Conservation Actions
In-place research and monitoring
- Action Recovery Plan : No
- Systematic monitoring scheme : Yes
In-place land/water protection
- Conservation sites identified : Yes, over entire range
- Occurs in at least one protected area : Yes
- Invasive species control or prevention : No
In-place species management
- Successfully reintroduced or introduced benignly : No
- Subject to ex-situ conservation : No
In-place education
- Subject to recent education and awareness programmes : No
- Included in international legislation : No
- Subject to any international management / trade controls : No
Conservation Actions in detail
Bibliography
Red List Bibliography
External Data
Images and External Links
Images and External Links in detail
CITES Legislation from Species+
Data source
The information below is from the Species+ website.
CITES Legislation from Species+ in detail
Ex situ data from Species360
Data source
The information below is from Species360's Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS)
Ex situ data from Species360 in detail
Studies and Actions from Conservation Evidence
Data source
The information below is from the Conservation Evidence website.
