Citrine Wagtail

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Citrine Wagtail
Ras al Khor Bird Sanctuary, Dubai, UAE
Conservation status
Least Concern
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Motacillidae Genus: Motacilla Species: M. citreola
Binomial name
Motacilla citreola Pallas, 1776

The Citrine Wagtail (Motacilla citreola) is a small passerine in the wagtail family Motacillidae, which also includes the pipits and longclaws. Its systematics and phylogeny have been subject of a major debate in the last 4 years or so; this bird is paraphyletic in respect to the Blue-headed Wagtail and together they form a cryptic species complex (Voelker, 2002).

It is a slender, 15.5-17 cm long bird, with the characteristic long, constantly wagging tail of its genus. The breeding adult male is basically grey above and bright yellow below, with a yellow head. In other plumages, the yellow underparts may be diluted by white, and the head is browner.

This species breeds in north central Asia in wet meadows and tundra. It nests on the ground, laying 4-5 speckled eggs. It migrates in winter to south Asia, often to highland area. Its range is expanding westwards, and it is a rare but increasing vagrant to western Europe.

This is an insectivorous bird of open country near water, such as wet meadows and bogs.

[edit] References

• BirdLife International (2004). Motacilla citreola. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern

• 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

[edit] Gallery

Breeding Male of calcarata race at Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India.	Breeding Male at Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India.	Bathing at Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India.	In Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
In Kolkata, West Bengal, India.	Immature at Narenderpur near Kolkata, West Bengal, India.	First winter plumage in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.	Immature in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
In Kolkata, West Bengal, India.	First winter plumage in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.	Adult female at Hodal in Faridabad District of Haryana, India.