| Western yellow wagtail | |
|---|---|
| |
| Adult male blue-headed wagtail (M. f. flava) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Motacillidae |
| Genus: | Motacilla |
| Species: | M. flava
|
| Binomial name | |
| Motacilla flava | |
| Subspecies | |
|
Some 15-20, but see text | |
| |
| Range of M. flava Breeding Resident Passage Non-breeding
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Motacilla tschutschensis (but see text) | |
The western yellow wagtail (Motacilla flava) is a small passerine bird in the wagtail family Motacillidae, which also includes the pipits and longclaws.
This species breeds in much of temperate Europe and Asia. Most populations are migratory, moving south to tropical Africa and southern Asia for the winter; the small population breeding in Egypt is however resident there.
It is a slender 15–16 cm long bird, with the characteristic long, constantly wagging tail of its genus. It is the shortest tailed of the European wagtails. The breeding adult male is basically olive above and yellow below. In other plumages, particularly in juveniles, the yellow may be diluted to whitish. The heads of breeding males come in a variety of colours and patterns depending on subspecies.
The call is a high-pitched jeet.[2]
This insectivorous bird inhabits open country near water, such as wet meadows. It nests in tussocks, laying 4–8 speckled eggs.
- ^ BirdLife International (2019). "Motacilla flava". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T103822349A155602678. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T103822349A155602678.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ Wiles et al. 2000, p. 279.