Wildlife Garden DecoBird Grey Wagtail 13.3 cm hand-carved & hand-painted

At a glance

• hand-carved and hand-painted grey wagtail made of linden wood
• Species: Grey wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)
• characteristic grey upper side and bright yellow under side
• typically long tail
• lifelike design based on the real bird
• hand-painted with water-based acrylic paint
• Dimensions: 13.3 × 4.1 × 10.2 cm
• Weight: approx. 40 g
• includes brochure with information on the bird species

Product details

• Brand: Wildlife Garden
• Series: DecoBird
• Bird species: Grey wagtail
• Scientific name: Motacilla cinerea
• Item number: WG4485
• EAN: 7350054766777
• Material: Linden wood, glass, metal wire and hemp string
• Paint: water-based acrylic paint
• Length: 13.3 cm
• Width: 4.1 cm
• Height: 10.2 cm
• Weight: approx. 40 g
• Other: Brochure with information on the bird species

The wagtail with the bright yellow under side

The grey wagtail stands out due to its elegant, slim body shape and exceptionally long tail. Particularly characteristic is the combination of a grey upper side and a vibrant yellow under side.

Wildlife Garden captures these features beautifully in its DecoBird. Despite the subdued grey back, the figure appears vivid and unmistakable due to the yellow.

The grey wagtail – Motacilla cinerea

If you want to observe the grey wagtail, you should look less in the treetops and more by a stream or river. The species is closely associated with flowing water and prefers to stay on banks, stones and other open areas near bodies of water.

There, it searches for insects and other small prey. Its slender frame and long tail suit a bird that moves nimbly between stones and water.

Why is it called a “mountain wagtail” (Gebirgsstelze)?

The German name can be somewhat misleading. You don't necessarily have to travel to high mountains to discover a grey wagtail. The decisive factor is not the altitude, but a suitable habitat with flowing water.

It can also be encountered by streams and rivers in lower-lying areas. This makes it a great example of how a bird's name alone does not explain its entire way of life.

The wagging tail is part of it

Like other wagtails, the grey wagtail moves its long tail noticeably up and down. This wagging is so characteristic that you can often identify a wagtail by its movement before you have taken a closer look at the plumage markings.

With the wooden figure, movement is of course not possible. Wildlife Garden therefore emphasizes the particularly elongated tail shape, which gives the grey wagtail its typical silhouette.

Hand-carved from linden wood

Wildlife Garden crafts the grey wagtail from linden wood. The fine-grained wood is a classic material for figurative carvings and is well-suited to the slender body shape and fine details of a small bird.

The figure is then painted by hand with water-based acrylic paint. Small variations in wood grain, carving and painting are normal with this artisanal production and make every DecoBird slightly unique.

13.3 cm long and only 40 grams in weight

The grey wagtail measures 13.3 × 4.1 × 10.2 cm and weighs around 40 g. The low width of just 4.1 cm in particular underlines the bird's slim body shape.

As a result, the figure requires very little shelf space and can easily find its place on a windowsill, bookshelf or desk.

A beautiful connection with natural materials

For the grey wagtail, decorating with stones is a particularly good idea. One or two rounded pebbles reflect its natural habitat by streams and rivers and bring the figure to life without distracting from it.

The combination of grey plumage, yellow under side and natural stone tones can look very beautiful.

With a brochure on the bird species

Wildlife Garden includes a small brochure with information about the bird species with the hand-carved grey wagtail.

This fits well with the idea behind the DecoBirds: the figures are intended to represent not just any decorative bird, but a concrete and recognizable bird species.

My assessment

For me, the grey wagtail is again one of those DecoBirds that makes it easier to recognize a real bird after the first closer look.

Here there are three features at once: the grey upper side, the bright yellow under side and, above all, the unusually long tail. When a small bird is then sitting on a stone right by the stream and constantly wagging its tail, identification becomes much easier.

And that is exactly why I like the variety of the DecoBird series. After finches, sparrows and plovers, the grey wagtail adds another bird with a completely different habitat and a very unique body shape.