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24

Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava) Alternate name(s): "Yellow Wagtail" (many others for individual races) Size: 15-16 cm

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Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Western Yellow Wagtails are the smallest of all wagtail species. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are different. Male Western Yellow Wagtails, nominate race "flava", have a bright yellow front, from the throat all the way down to the undertail coverts. The crown, sides of the head and nape of the neck are grey, with a prominent white eyebrow. The mantle is yellowish-grey, while the flight feathers and the tail are dark-grey with light-grey edge lining. Female Western Yellow Wagtails have much more inconspicuous colours. Their throat and chest are greyish with a yellow tinge. The belly and undertail coverts are pale-yellow. The upperparts and the head are very similar to those of males. Both sexes have black irises, a dark-grey bill and long, dark-grey legs and feet. Juvenile Western Yellow Wagtails start off with a light-grey front and a darker-grey back; immature birds gradually develop yellow patches, first on the head and the vent.

Taxonomy, classification See Yellow Wagtail at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed based on sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to the ebird.org website. The global distribution of the Western Yellow Wagtail is available HERE . Altogether, the about 15-20 currently recognized races of Western Yellow Wagtails have a wide-spanning range. They occur from western Europe to central Asia, migrating southward to parts of Africa and southern Asia. During the winters or migration nominate race "flava" can be found in parts of Arabia, including the North coast of Oman.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "flava" A single Western Yellow Wagtail, nominate race "flava", was spotted by us on the Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, in October 2009.

Photos

Race "flava"

ADULT

Adult Western Yellow Wagtails were photographed in Europe.

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal view of an immature Western Yellow Wagtail
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, October 2009]

Lateral view of an immature Western Yellow Wagtail
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, October 2009]

Lateral view of an immature Western Yellow Wagtail
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, October 2009]

Western Yellow Wagtail hovering near a pond
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, October 2009]

Food, Diet

Like all Motacilla wagtails known to us, Western Yellow Wagtails are insectivores.

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 .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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