BLUE-HEADED WAGTAIL

The 'Blue-headed Wagtail' ('''Motacilla flava'''), also known by a number of other names such as 'Yellow Wagtail' is a small passerine in the wagtail family Motacillidae, which also includes the pipits and longclaws.
This species breeds in much of temperate Europe and Asia and has a foothold in North America in Alaska. It is resident in the milder parts of its range, such as western Europe, but northern and eastern populations migrate to Africa and south Asia. The Beringian population, 'Eastern Yellow Wagtail', winters further down the Pacific coast.
This is an insectivorous bird of open country near water, such as wet meadows. It nests in tussocks, laying 4-8 speckled eggs.
This 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, the yellow may be diluted by white.
The heads of breeding males come in a variety of colours and patterns depending on subspecies.

Contents

Systematics

Gallery

References

Further reading

Book

Articles

Systematics

This species' systematics and phylogeny is extremely confusing. Literally 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 forms a cryptic species complex with this bird (Voelker 2002); both taxa are paraphyletic in respect to each other.
'Currently accepted subspecies'

after Tyler (2005). Coloration refers to males except when noted.

★ ''M. f. flava'' Linnaeus, 1758 - 'Blue-headed Wagtail'.
: Blue-gray head with white supercilium and malar stripe in males, much washed with buffish green in females.
: Breeding: S Scandinavia to France and C European mountain ranges, E to Urals. Winter: sub-Saharan Africa.

★ ''M. f. flavissima'' Blyth, 1834 - 'Yellow Wagtail' or Yellow-crowned Wagtail.
: Yellow-green head with a brighter yellow supercilium. Females markedly paler below than males.
: Breeding: Britain and English Channel coast. Winter: Africa.

★ ''M. f. thunbergi'' Billberg, 1828 - 'Dark-headed Wagtail' or Grey-headed Wagtail.
:Head dark gray, reaching down to the cheeks, and without white in males; lighter and washed greenish, with vestigial greenish supercilium in females.
:Breeding: C and N Scandinavia E to NW Siberia. Winter: E Africa, Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia.

★ ''M. f. iberiae'' Hartert, 1921 - 'Iberian Yellow Wagtail'.
:Like ''flava'', but throat white and gray darker, almost black behind eyes.
:Breeding: SE France, Iberia, Maghreb from Tunisia to Banc d'Arguin. Winter: The Gambia to CAR.

★ ''M. f. cinereocapilla'' Savi, 1831 - 'Ashy-headed Wagtail'.
:Like ''iberiae'' but supercilium absent or vestigial.
:Breeding: Sicily, Sardinia, Italy, Slovenia. Winter: coastal Tunisia and Algeria, Mali to Lake Chad.

★ ''M. f. pygmaea'' (A. E. Brehm, 1854) - 'Egyptian Yellow Wagtail'.
:Similar to ''cinereocapilla'', smaller, less bright.
:Nile delta and lower Nile, resident all year.

★ ''M. f. feldegg'' Michahelles, 1830 - 'Black-headed Wagtail'
:Like ''thunbergi'' but black cap in males, females like a dull ''thunbergi'' male above, very washed-out dirty yellowish below, throat white.
:Breeding: Balkans E to Caspian Sea, S to Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan; also Levant. Winter: C Africa from Nigeria to Uganda and S Sudan.

★ ''M. f. lutea'' (S. G. Gmelin, 1774) - 'Yellow-headed Wagtail'.
:Head yellow with green neck in males, females like a somewhat more vivid ''flava'' female.
:Breeding: Lower Volga to Irtysh River and Lake Zaysan. Winter: Africa and Indian subcontinent.

★ ''M. f. beema'' (Sykes, 1832) - 'Sykes' Wagtail'.
:Like ''flava'' but head lighter gray, ears washed white; sexes often similar.
:Breeding: North of ''lutea'', E to Ladakh area. Winter: Indian subcontinent, also E Africa and adjacent Arabia.

★ ''M. f. melanogrisea'' (Homeyer, 1878) - 'Turkestan Black-headed Wagtail'.
:Similar to ''feldegg'', but white malar stripe and sometimes green neck.
:Breeding: Volga Delta E around Caspian Sea to N Afghanistan. Winter: Pakistan and NW India to W Nepal, possibly also NE Africa.

★ ''M. f. plexa'' (Thayer & Bangs, 1914) - 'North Siberian Yellow Wagtail'.
:Males like ''thunbergi'' but ears darker, top of head lighter, vestigial supercilium. Females like dull males.
:Breeding: Siberia between Khatanga and Kolyma Rivers. Winter: India, SE Asia.

★ ''M. f. tschutschensis'' J. F. Gmelin, 1789 - 'Beringian Yellow Wagtail', Alaska Yellow Wagtail, or Eastern Yellow Wagtail.
:Both sexes similar to corresponding ''flava'', but gray of head darker; females often very male-like.
:Breeding: around Bering Strait to NW Canada coast. Winter: regions around South China Sea.

★ ''M. f. angarensis'' (Sushkin, 1925) - 'South Siberian Yellow Wagtail'.
:Males like ''plexa'', but supercilium more pronounced.
:Breeding: From S Siberia S through W Transbaikalia to N Mongolia. Winter: SE Asia.

★ ''M. f. leucocephala'' (Przevalski, 1887) - 'White-headed Yellow Wagtail'.
:Male like ''flava'', but grey of head very pale, almost white. Female like ''flava'' females, but head somewhat darker.
:Breeding: NW Mongolia and adjacent PRC and Russia. Winter: probably India.

★ ''M. f. taivana'' (Swinhoe, 1863) - 'Green-crowned Yellow Wagtail' or Kuril Yellow Wagtail.
:Like ''flavissima'' but daker above, ears much darker, almost black. Sexes similar.
:Breeding: between ranges of ''plexa'' and ''tschutschensis'' S via Sakhalin to N Hokkaidō. Winter: Myanmar to Taiwan, S to Wallacea.

★ ''M. f. macronyx'' (Stresemann, 1920) - 'Southeast Siberian Yellow Wagtail'.
:Males like ''thunbergi'' but brighter and more strongly marked overall. Female like in ''thunbergi'' but no supercilium.
:Breeding: SE Transbaikalia E to coast, S to Manchuria. Winter: NW of South China Sea.

★ ''M. f. simillima'' Hartert, 1905 - 'Bering Sea Yellow Wagtail' or Short-tailed Grey-headed Wagtail.
:Both sexes similar to corresponding ''flava'', but supercilium usually less pronounced.
:Breeding: Kamchatka and Bering Sea isalnds, possibly to Aleuts. Winter: SE Asia S to N Australia.
Nominate Blue-headed Wagtail and Yellow Wagtail form a narrow hybrid zone in northern France. Birds from this zone vary in appearance, but one type, which resembles nominate Blue-headed Wagtail (except that the blue tones to the head are paler and more mauve and the white of the head is more extensive, particularly on the throat, ear-coverts, and supercilium) is colloquially referred to as 'Channel Wagtail'.

Gallery

References

★ Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern

★ 'Tyler', Stephanie J. (2004): 60. Yellow Wagtail. ''In:'' del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew & Sargatal, Jordi (editors): ''Handbook of Birds of the World, Volume 9: Cotingas to Pipits and Wagtails'': 781-782, Plate 77. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. ISBN 84-87334-69-5

★ 'Voelker', Gary (2002): Systematics and historical biogeography of wagtails: Dispersal versus vicariance revisited. ''Condor'' '104'(4): 725–739. [English with Spanish abstract] DOI: 10.1650/0010-5422(2002)104[0725:SAHBOW]2.0.CO;2 HTML abstract

Further reading

Book

★ Badyaev, A. V., B. Kessel, and D. D. Gibson. 1998. ''Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava)''. In ''The Birds of North America'', No. 382 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.

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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 149-156.

★ Fraker MA & Fraker RN. (1980). ''Yellow Wagtail Motacilla-Flava East of the Mackenzie Delta Canada''. Canadian Field Naturalist. vol '94', no 4. p. 465-466.

★ Hereward AC. (1979). ''The Autumn Molt of the Yellow Wagtail Motacilla-Flava-Flavissima''. Ringing & Migration. vol '2', no 3. p. 113-117.

★ Hunt J & Standring I. (1995). ''A yellow wagtail Motacilla flava at Lake Mclarty''. Western Australian Naturalist. vol '20', no 2. p. 61-64.

★ Inskipp TP. (1981). ''MYSTERY PHOTOGRAPHS - 60 YELLOW WAGTAIL''. British Birds. vol '74', no 12. p. 517-519.

★ Johnstone RE. (1982). ''The Yellow Wagtail Motacilla-Flava in Australia''. Western Australian Naturalist. vol '15', no 3. p. 61-66.

★ Kaellander H. (1993). ''Commensal feeding associations between yellow wagtails Motacilla flava and cattle''. Ibis. vol '135', no 1. p. 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. 1-10.

★ Moffatt JD. (1981). ''Yellow Wagtail Motacilla-Flava on Heron Island Queensland Australia with Notes on the Status of Southern Individuals''. Emu. vol '81', no 1. p. 47-48.

★ 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 146-148.

★ Taylor DW. (1979). ''CATTLE EGRET EATING YELLOW WAGTAIL''. British Birds. vol '72', no 10. p. 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. 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. 176-183.

★ Vongrej D & Darolova A. (1994). ''Nidification of Motacilla flava feldegg (Michahelles, 1830) in Slovakia''. Biologia. vol '49', no 5. p. 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. 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. 228-231.

★ Wood B. (1982). ''THE TRANS-SAHARAN SPRING MIGRATION OF YELLOW WAGTAILS (MOTACILLA-FLAVA)''. Journal of Zoology. vol '197', no JUN. p. 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. 66-76.