Pied Question

[johnd83]

What does it mean when this term is added to a bird's name. For example the pied wagtail?

[Jacksparrow]

Black and white. Must be old English, I expect Placi has an answer in one of her ancient dictionaries.

[johnd83]

Thanks Jacksparrow. In my book it had white wagtail and yellow wagtail but no pied. With it being the black and white I thought it was something to do with the mag-pie?

[Kev]

I think pied means more than one colour rather than strictly black and white although with birds it might be more specific to those colours. I await our human dictionary....

[johnd83]

As well as trying to progress in photography I also want 2015 to be the year I kick start my wildlife hobby and get stuck into it.

[Placido]

ahem (adjusts lorgnette) .... "pied" = variegated, spotted.
HOWEVER (this is interesting): apparently the word "pie", a short-form of "pied", derives directly from "Pica" which as we all know is the Latin handle for ye olde magpie.
Good, that, innit ??

[johnd83]

[Jacksparrow]

Many thanks to our resident etymologist for her elucidation.
I was working on a rather simpler theory. A Piebald horse is a black and white one and of course the Magpie which Placi has already mentioned which we all know is black and white.

[Placido]

Interesting again - in the case of "piebald" the "bald" part means "streaked" not "Nick Robinson"

[greg]

I don't think 'piebald' is restricted to just black and white ................

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/piebald

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=pieba ... 142%3B1166