Passeriformes / Motacillidae / Motacilla
Eastern Yellow Wagtail
Motacilla tschutschensis · 黄鹡鸰
Introduction
A small passerine in the wagtail family Motacillidae, breeding in the eastern Palearctic and Alaska and migrating to South Asia and Australia. It was split from the western yellow wagtail in 2003 based on genetic data.
Description
Slender, 15–16 cm long, with a characteristic long, constantly wagging tail. Breeding adult males are olive-green above and yellow below, with head colors and patterns varying by subspecies. In other plumages, particularly first-winter birds and many females, the yellow may be diluted by white. The bill and legs are black. The hind claw is long and not strongly curved.
Identification
Distinguished from the western yellow wagtail by a long, not strongly curved hind claw (versus shorter and more strongly curved). The call is a characteristic high-pitched zrri or jeet, which is shriller and more rasping than that of the western yellow wagtail.
Distribution & Habitat
Breeds in the East Palearctic and Alaska. Migrates to south-east Asia and Australia in winter, with the non-breeding range extending west to eastern India and Sri Lanka. Vagrants occur in Micronesia (Palau, Marianas) and are surprisingly frequent late autumn and winter visitors to western and northwestern Europe, including Britain and Sweden.
Behavior & Ecology
Insectivorous, inhabiting open country near water such as wet meadows. Nests in tussocks, laying 4–8 speckled eggs. Host to the Acanthocephalan parasite Apororhynchus paulonucleatus.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Motacillidae
- Genus
- Motacilla
Taxonomy Changes
Motacilla borealis → Motacilla tschutschensis
Subspecies lump — GBIF Backbone Taxonomy uses the former name; AviList 2025 uses the current name.
Vocalizations
Subspecies (4)
-
Motacilla tschutschensis macronyx
breeds Ussuriland to northeastern Mongolia and central Manchuria; winters to southeastern Asia and southeastern China
Data Sources
Species description from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Bird images and sounds sourced from GBIF, contributed by citizen scientists worldwide under Creative Commons licenses.
Taxonomy data from AviList 2025.
