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. This insectivorous bird inhabits open country near water, such as wet meadows. It nests in tussocks, laying 4–8 speckled eggs.

Taxonomy

The western yellow wagtail was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under its current binomial name Motacilla flava. In 1555 the Swiss naturalist Conrad Gessner had used the identical Latin name Motacilla Flava when describing this species in his book, Historia animalium. Linnaeus specified the type locality as Europe but this is now restricted to southern Sweden. The genus name Motacilla is the Latin name for the wagtail; although actually a diminutive of motare, "to move about", from medieval times it led to the misunderstanding of cilla as "tail". The specific flava is Latin for golden-yellow.

This species' systematics and phylogeny is confusing. Dozens of subspecies have been described at one time or another, and some 15-20 are currently considered valid depending on which author reviews them. In addition, the citrine wagtail (M. citreola) forms a cryptic species complex with this bird; both taxa as conventionally delimited are paraphyletic in respect to each other. The populations of the Beringian region are sometimes separated as eastern yellow wagtail (M. tschutschensis).

<!--

Analysis of mtDNA cytochrome b and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 sequence data (Voelker 2002) indicates that M. flava is paraphyletic, forming a cryptic species complex with the citrine wagtail. However, while it is quite likely that these birds form at least 3 distinct clades,

the new molecular data is as insufficient to suggest a robust phylogeny for the flava-citreola complex as are the long-known morphological traits; the latter may indeed be better suited to the task if care is taken to account for hybridization.

What can be said is that the 3 clades are at least 2 and possibly 3 species, and that possibly

only one of these does not contain members of both "species" (in the current sense). More individuals from the entire range of subpopulations (if possible) need to be subject to molecular analyses, and additional data on ecology and especially behavior, such as songs and mate choice, will be needed before the questions surrounding these birds' taxonomy stand any chance of being resolved to satisfaction (Tyler 2005).

[this needs to be reworked to include MolEcol12:2113 and possibly Auk(?) 2003(?) study; former has also nucDNA and latter better sample.]

-->

Subspecies

The ten recognised subspecies are listed below. Plumage colours refer to males except when noted; females are often hard to impossible to identify to subspecies. Vernacular names of the European subspecies follow Svensson (1992).

<!-- specimens in Voelker study – need to be allocated to ssp.

citreola

UWBM 49351 Russia: Kurskaya Oblast' (W Palaearctic)

UWBM 46336 Russia: Avtonomnaya Respublika Buryatia (SEA)

flava

UWBM 43953 Russia: Chukotskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug (E Palaearctic)

UWBM 44273 Russia: Avtonomnaya Respublika Yakutia (E Palaearctic)

UWBM 51665 Russia: Magadanskaya Oblast' (E Palaearctic)

UWBM 49434 Russia: Kurskaya Oblast' (W Palaearctic)

UWBM 56836 Russia: Astrakhanskaya Oblast' (W Palaearctic)

UWBM 46234 Kazakhstan: Almaty Oblysy (W Palaearctic)

UWBM 46360 Kazakhstan: Almaty Oblysy (W Palaearctic)

UWBM 46381 Kazakhstan: Almaty Oblysy (W Palaearctic)

UWBM 47176 Russia: Khabarovskiy Kray (SEA)

UWBM 47504 Russia: Sakhalinskaya Oblast' (SEA)

UWBM 47505 Russia: Sakhalinskaya Oblast' (SEA)

-->

In culture

In the Pyramid Texts of Old Kingdom Egypt, the yellow wagtail was considered a representation of Atum himself and might have been the first inspiration for the Bennu bird, which, in turn, is the supposed inspiration for the phoenix of Greek mythology.

The yellow wagtail is the subject of a poem, Motacilla flava flavissima, in Polly Atkin's 2021 poetry collection, Much With Body.

<gallery>

File:Motacilla flava MWNH 1580.JPG|Eggs, Collection Museum Wiesbaden

File:Motacilla flava 2 young (Marek Szczepanek).jpg|Immature blue-headed wagtail (M. f. flava)

File:Western yellow wagtail (Motacilla flava lutea) male.jpg|male M. f. lutea, Matetsi Safari Area, Zimbabwe

File:Cuculus canorus canorus MHNT.ZOO.2010.11.150.44.jpg|Cuculus canorus canorus egg in a clutch of Motacilla flava eggs - MHNT

</gallery>

References

Sources

<!--* Tyler, Stephanie J. (2004): 60. Yellow Wagtail. In: del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew & Christie, D. (eds.): Handbook of Birds of the World (Vol. 9: Cotingas to Pipits and Wagtails): 781-782, plate 77. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. <small>ISBN 84-87334-69-5</small>. Plate 77 image (all birds except the 4 grey/black-backed ones at lower left are M. flava)-->

<!--

Further reading

Articles

  • Antikainen E & Sorvari VM. (1985). A Mixed Pair of Yellow Wagtails Motacilla-Lutea and Motacilla-Flava-Flava in Sonkajarvi North Savo Finland. Ornis Fennica. vol 62, no 2.
  • Aymi R. (1997). Additional cases of interrupted moult in the yellow wagtail Motacilla flava. Ringing & Migration. vol 18, no 1. p.&nbsp;33-34.
  • Bell CP. (1996). The relationship between geographic variation in clutch size and migration pattern in the yellow wagtail. Bird Study. vol 43, no 3. p.&nbsp;333-341.
  • Bell CP. (1996). Seasonality and time allocation as causes of leap-frog migration in the Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava. Journal of Avian Biology. vol 27, no 4. p.&nbsp;334-342.
  • Bell CP. (2005). Fattening rates in preparation for spring migration in leap-frogging yellow wagtail populations wintering in Nigeria. Alauda. vol 73, no 3.
  • Bell CP. (2006). Social interactions, moult and pre-migratory fattening among Yellow Wagtails Motacilla flava in the Nigerian Sahel. Malimbus. vol 28, no 2. p.&nbsp;69-82.
  • Belman PJ & Eddings PAI. (1980). Marsh Frogs Rana-Ridibunda Seizing Bonellis Warbler Phylloscopus-Bonelli and Yellow Wagtail Motacilla-Flava. British Birds. vol 73, no 9. p.&nbsp;418-419.
  • Bradbury RB & Bradter U. (2004). Habitat associations of Yellow Wagtails Motacilla flava flavissima on lowland wet grassland. Ibis. vol 146, no 2. p.&nbsp;241-246.
  • Buckland ST & Hereward AC. (1982). Trap Shyness of Yellow Wagtails Motacilla-Flava-Flavissima at a Pre Migratory Roost. Ringing & Migration. vol 4, no 1. p.&nbsp;15-23.
  • Crick H, Raven M, Beaven P & Glue D. (2001). Yellow wagtail and red-throated diver: New nest record scheme alerts. Bird Populations. vol 6, p.&nbsp;84-87.
  • Czikeli H. (1985). Biochemical Genetics in the Yellow Wagtail Motacilla-Flava Complex Conservative Avian Protein Evolution Reconfirmed by Isoelectric Focusing. Biochemical Systematics & Ecology. vol 13, no 2. p.&nbsp;171-178.
  • Dubale MS & Thomas VC. (1978). The Epidermal Structures of the Tongue and the Buccal Cavity of the Brahminy Myna Sturnus-Pagodarum and the Wagtail Motacilla-Flava-Thunbergi. Acta Zoologica. vol 59, no 3-4. p.&nbsp;149-156.
  • Hereward AC. (1979). The Autumn Molt of the Yellow Wagtail Motacilla-Flava-Flavissima. Ringing & Migration. vol 2, no 3. p.&nbsp;113-117.
  • Inskipp TP. (1981). MYSTERY PHOTOGRAPHS – 60 YELLOW WAGTAIL. British Birds. vol 74, no 12. p.&nbsp;517-519.
  • Kaellander H. (1993). Commensal feeding associations between yellow wagtails Motacilla flava and cattle. Ibis. vol 135, no 1. p.&nbsp;97-100.
  • Mason CF & Lyczynski F. (1980). Breeding Biology of the Pied Wagtail Motacilla-Alba and Yellow Wagtail Motacilla-Flava. Bird Study. vol 27, no 1. p.&nbsp;1-10.
  • Odeen A & Bjorklund M. (2003). Dynamics in the evolution of sexual traits: Losses and gains, radiation and convergence in yellow wagtails (Motacilla flava). Molecular Ecology. vol 12, no 8. p.&nbsp;2113-2130.
  • Pavlova A, Zink RM, Drovetski SV, Red'kin Y & Rohwer S. (2003). Phylogeographic patterns in Motacilla flava and Motacilla citreola: Species limits and population history. Auk. vol 120, no 3. p.&nbsp;744-758.
  • Serra L. (1992). Ageing criteria and moult conditions in the yellow wagtail, Motacilla flava, during spring migration. Rivista Italiana di Ornitologia. vol 62, no 1-2. p.&nbsp;22-28.
  • Shydlovskyy I & Zatushevskyy A. (2005). Summer-autumn migration and orientation of the Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava (L.) in the western Ukraine. Alauda. vol 73, no 3. p.&nbsp;319-320.
  • Spina F & Massi A. (1992). Post-Nuptial Moult and Fat Accumulation of the Ashy-Headed Wagtail Motacilla-Flava-Cinereocapilla in Northern Italy. Vogelwarte. vol 36, no 3. p.&nbsp;211-220.
  • Surmacki A, Lorek G & Tryjanowski P. (1999). Communal roosting of Linnets (Carduelis cannabina) and Blue-headed Wagtails (Motacilla flava) at post-breeding period in Western Poland. Vogelwarte. vol 40, no 1-2. p.&nbsp;146-148.
  • Taylor DW. (1979). CATTLE EGRET EATING YELLOW WAGTAIL. British Birds. vol 72, no 10. p.&nbsp;475-475.
  • Valkiunas G & Iezhova TA. (2001). A comparison of the blood parasites in three subspecies of the yellow wagtail Motacilla flava. Journal of Parasitology. vol 87, no 4. p.&nbsp;930-934.
  • Van Der Berg M & Oreel GK. (1985). Field Identification and Status of Black-Headed Yellow Wagtails Motacilla-Flava-Feldeggi in Western Europe. British Birds. vol 78, no 4. p.&nbsp;176-183.
  • Vongrej D & Darolova A. (1994). Nidification of Motacilla flava feldegg (Michahelles, 1830) in Slovakia. Biologia. vol 49, no 5. p.&nbsp;795-796.
  • Wilson AM & Vickery JA. (2005). Decline in Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava flavissima breeding on lowland wet grassland in England and Wales between 1982 and 2002. Bird Study. vol 52, no Part 1. p.&nbsp;88-92.
  • Wood B. (1979). Changes in Numbers of over Wintering Yellow Wagtails Motacilla-Flava and Their Food Supplies in a West African Savanna. Ibis. vol 121, no 2. p.&nbsp;228-231.
  • Wood B. (1982). THE TRANS-SAHARAN SPRING MIGRATION OF YELLOW WAGTAILS (MOTACILLA-FLAVA). Journal of Zoology. vol 197, no JUN. p.&nbsp;267-283.
  • Wood B. (1992). YELLOW WAGTAIL MOTACILLA-FLAVA MIGRATION FROM WEST AFRICA TO EUROPE – POINTERS TOWARDS A CONSERVATION STRATEGY FOR MIGRANTS ON PASSAGE. Ibis. vol 134, p.&nbsp;66-76.

-->

  • Ageing and sexing (PDF; 4.2&nbsp;MB) by Javier Blasco-Zumeta & Gerd-Michael Heinze
  • Oiseaux Images
  • Western yellow wagtail – Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds.