Western Yellow Wagtail
Photo: Frebeck · CC BY-SA 3.0

Wagtails and Pipits

Western Yellow Wagtail

Motacilla flava

LCLeast Concern
Family
Wagtails and Pipits (Motacillidae)
Order
Passeriformes

Overview

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.

Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Range and habitat

Sources and further reading

Last updated September 29, 2026.