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Western Yellow WagtailAlternate name(s): "Yellow Wagtail" (many others for individual races) ![]() Size: 15-16 cm; wing span 23-27 cm Weight: 16-22 g |
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Similar |
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See Western
Yellow Wagtail at Wikipedia ![]() |
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Photos |
Race "flava"
This race is also called the "Blue-headed Wagtail".
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ADULT |
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MALE |
Near-frontal view of a male Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Biebrza NP, Poland, May 2017]
Near-lateral view of a male Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2015]
Lateral view of a male Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[5 km North of Temerin, Serbia, June 2014]
Lateral view of a male Western Yellow Wagtail perched on canola
(photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Nieppe, Hauts-de-France, France, May 2021]
Lateral view of a male Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of K. Paunovic)
[Near Novi Sad, Serbia, April 2015]
Lateral view of a male Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2015]
Near-dorsal view of a male Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Malkinia, Masovia, Poland, August 2019]
Near-dorsal view of a male Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Malkinia, Masovia, Poland, August 2019]
Dorsal view of a male Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Biebrza NP, Poland, May 2016]
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FEMALE |
Near-frontal view of a female Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug Landscape Park, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, July 2015]
Near-frontal view of a female Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug Landscape Park, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, July 2015]
Lateral view of a female Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug Landscape Park, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, July 2015]
Lateral view of a moulting female Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Malinowo, Masovia, Poland, September 2016]
Lateral view of a female Western Yellow Wagtail and a
Common
Sandpiper (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Malkinia, Masovia, Poland, August 2019]
Near-dorsal view of a moulting female Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Malinowo, Masovia, Poland, September 2016]
Dorsal view of a moulting female Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Malinowo, Masovia, Poland, September 2016]
Sex unknown |
Lateral view of two moulting Western Yellow Wagtails
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Malkinia, Masovia, Poland, July 2019]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Lateral view of a moulting female Western Yellow Wagtail, back,
with a dependent juvenile, front
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Malinowo, Masovia, Poland, September 2016]
Lateral view of a female Western Yellow Wagtail with a fledgling
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, July 2017]
Race "feldegg"
This race is also called the "Black-headed Wagtail".
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ADULT |
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MALE |
Frontal view of a male Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[June 2018]
Frontal view of a male Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[June 2018]
Near-frontal view of a male Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[June 2018]
Near-lateral view of a male Western Yellow Wagtail issuing its call
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[June 2018]
Lateral view of a male Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[June 2018]
Lateral view of a male Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[June 2018]
Dorsal view of a male, left, with a first-winter Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
HREF="/img/dbirds/24/yelwagt_jp_8098_big.jpg">
[Raia River, Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2020]
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FEMALE |
Lateral view of a female Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[June 2018]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Frontal view of a juvenile Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[June 2018]
Near-dorsal view of a juvenile Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[June 2018]
Race "thunbergi"
This race is also called the "Dark-headed Wagtail" or "Grey-headed Wagtail".
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ADULT |
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MALE |
Near-frontal view of a male Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Oslo airport, Oslo, Norway, June 2018]
Race "iberiae"
This race is also called the "Iberian Yellow Wagtail".
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ADULT |
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MALE |
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BREEDING |
Near-lateral view of a male Western Yellow Wagtail in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2019]
Near-lateral view of a male Western Yellow Wagtail in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2019]
Lateral view of a male Western Yellow Wagtail in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, May 2020]
Lateral view of a male Western Yellow Wagtail in breeding
plumage issuing its
call
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2019]
Lateral view of a male Western Yellow Wagtail in breeding
plumage; this is
the bird whose "various"
calls
were recorded on 16 March 2020
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, March 2020]
Lateral view of a male Western Yellow Wagtail in breeding
plumage; this is
the bird whose "contact"
call
was recorded on 16 March 2020
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, March 2020]
Lateral/ventral view of a male Western Yellow Wagtail in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, May 2021]
Near-dorsal view of a male Western Yellow Wagtail in breeding
plumage; this is
the bird whose "contact"
call
was recorded on 16 March 2020
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, March 2020]
Near-dorsal view of a male Western Yellow Wagtail in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Alhos Vedros, Moita, Tejo estuary, Portugal, March 2020]
Dorsal view of a male Western Yellow Wagtail in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, May 2020]
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FEMALE |
Near-frontal view of a female Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, September 2019]
Near-lateral view of a female Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, September 2019]
Near-lateral view of a female Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, September 2019]
Lateral view of a female Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, August 2019]
Lateral view of a female Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2019]
Near-dorsal view of a female Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2019]
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NON-BREEDING |
Sex unknown |
Lateral view of a Western Yellow Wagtail in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, October 2019]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Female Western Yellow Wagtail with a dependent juvenile
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, August 2019]
Near-frontal view of a juvenile Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, May 2020]
Lateral view of a juvenile Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, May 2020]
Near-lateral view of a juvenile Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, August 2019]
Near-lateral view of a juvenile Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, August 2019]
Near-lateral view of a juvenile Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, August 2019]
Lateral view of a juvenile Western Yellow Wagtail stretching a wing
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, May 2020]
Lateral view of a moulting juvenile Western Yellow Wagtail
in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, July 2019]
Near-dorsal view of a moulting juvenile Western Yellow Wagtail
with its prey
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, July 2019]
Near-dorsal view of a juvenile Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, May 2020]
Lateral view of a fledgling(?) Western Yellow Wagtail
looking towards the observer
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, June 2021]
Lateral view of a fledgling(?) Western Yellow Wagtail
looking sideways
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, June 2021]
Lateral view of a fledgling(?) Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, June 2021]
Race "flavissima"
This race is also called the "Yellow-crowned Wagtail".
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ADULT |
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MALE |
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BREEDING |
Lateral view of a male Western Yellow Wagtail
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2019]
Lateral view of a male Western Yellow Wagtail
in mellow light
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, October 2018]
Lateral view of a male Western Yellow Wagtail
in mellow light
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, October 2018]
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Breeding information |
Breeding season: Apr - Aug | Eggs: 4 - 6 | Incubation period: 10 - 13 days | Fledging age: 10 - 14 days |
The length of the breeding season depends on geographic latitude.
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Nest |
Type: Basket | Material: Grass, animal hair | Height above ground: N/A |
Nest building: Female | Incubation: Female & male | Dependent care: Female & male |
Near-frontal view of a female Western Yellow Wagtail
carrying nest material
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, May 2020]
Lateral view of a female Western Yellow Wagtail
carrying nest material
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, May 2020]
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Eggs |
Size: 19 x 14 mm | Colour: Light-grey, with small brownish speckles | Shape: Tapered oval |
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Behaviour |
Social behaviour: Territorial? | Mobility: Sedentary/migratory | Elementary unit: Pair/family clan |
As all wagtails of the Motacilla genus, Western Yellow Wagtails constantly wag their tails in an up and down motion.
This male Western Yellow Wagtail was found foraging in a wheat crop
(photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Near Saint Omer, between Lille and Boulogne-sur-Mer,
Hauts-de-France, France, June 2020]
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Food, Diet |
Like all Motacilla wagtails known to us, Western Yellow Wagtails are insectivores.
Lateral view of a female Western Yellow Wagtail with
food for its brood
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, June 2021]
Near-frontal view of a female Western Yellow Wagtail with its prey,
a flying insect (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug Landscape Park, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, July 2015]
Lateral view of a first-winter Western Yellow Wagtail
with its prey
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Santa Justa, Coruche, Portugal, September 2020]
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Call(s)/Song |
For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own;
comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.
yelwagt_dw_20200604.m4a |
flava (Poland) |
Contact calls? | © DW | |
yelwagt_jp_20200316.m4a |
iberiae (SW Portugal) |
Contact call? (male) | © JP | |
yelwagt_jp_20200505.m4a |
iberiae (SW Portugal) |
Contact calls? | © JP | |
yelwagt_jp_20200517.m4a |
iberiae (SW Portugal) |
Contact calls? (in-flight) | © JP | |
yelwagt_jp_20200316_2.m4a |
iberiae (SW Portugal) |
Various (male) | © JP |
More Western Yellow Wagtail sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.