White wagtails are usually seen alone or in pairs, but during migration, they often gather in flocks at good feeding areas or roost at night. These birds feed by day on the ground or on the wing. They may also forage in shallow water catching prey in the mud or may hover over water. The most conspicuous habit of White wagtails is a near-constant tail wagging, a trait that has given the birds their common name. The reasons for this behavior are poorly understood but it has been suggested that wagtails may flush prey, or signal submissiveness to other wagtails. The call of these birds is a sharp 'chisick' and their song consists of twittering phrases; the males use a series of contact calls to attract the female.
White wagtails are monogamous; they form pairs and defend their breeding territories. The breeding season for most is from April to August, with the season starting later further north. Both sexes build the nest; the male initiates the nest building and the female finishes the process. The nest is a rough cup assembled from twigs, grass, leaves, and other plant matter. It is lined with soft materials, including animal hair. The nest is set into a crevice or hole - traditionally in a bank next to a river or ditch - but White wagtails have also adapted to nesting in walls, bridges, and buildings. The female lays 3 to 8 cream-colored eggs, often with a faint bluish-green or turquoise tint, and heavily spotted with reddish-brown. Both parents incubate the eggs, although the female generally does so for longer and incubates at night. The eggs begin to hatch after 12-16 days. Both parents feed the chicks until they fledge after between 12 and 15 days, and then continue to feed them for another week after fledging.
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