Motacillidae
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| Motacillidae | ||||||||||||
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 Male Pied Wagtail,
Motacilla alba yarrellii (Britain and Ireland) |
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The Motacillidae are a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. There are around 65 species in 6 genera and they include the wagtails, longclaws and pipits. The longclaws are entirely restricted to the Afrotropics, and the wagtails are predominately found in Europe, Africa and Asia, with two species migrating and breeding in Alaska. The pipits have the most cosmopolitan distribution, being found across mostly in the Old World but occurring also in the Americas and oceanic islands such as New Zealand and the Falklands.
The wagtails, pipits and longclaws are slender, small to medium sized passerines with short necks and long tails. They have long, pale legs with long toes and claws, particularly the hind toe which can be up to 4cm in length in some longclaws. There is no sexual dimorphism in size. Overall the robust longclaws are larger than the pipits and wagtails. Longclaws can weigh as much as 64 g, whereas the weight range for pipits and wagtails is 15-31 g. The plumage of the pipits is dull and reminiscent of the larks, although some species have brighter plumages, particularly the Golden Pipit of north-east Africa. The adult male longclaws have brightly coloured undersides. The wagtails often have striking plumage, utilising grey, black, white and yellow colours as opposed to the browns of the pipits.
The most of the Motacillidae are ground feeding insectivores of slightly open country. They occupy almost all available habitats, from the shore to high mountains. Wagtails prefer wetter habitats to the pipits. A few species use forests, including the Forest Wagtail, and other species use forested mountain streams, like the Grey Wagtail or the Mountain Wagtail.
A wide range of invertebrate prey is taken by motacillids. Insects are the most commonly taken, but spiders, worms, and small freshwater and marine molluscs and arthropods are also eaten.All species seem to be fairly catholic in their diet, and the most commonly taken prey for any particular species or population usually reflects local avaliablity.
With the exception of the Forest Wagtail, they are ground nesters, laying up to six speckled eggs.
[edit] Species and genera of Motacillidae
- Genus Anthus: typical pipits
- (c.40 species; see genus page)
- Genus Tmetothylacus
- Golden Pipit, Tmetothylacus tenellus
- Genus Motacilla: typical wagtails
- White Wagtail Motacilla alba - possibly paraphyletic
- Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba yarrellii
- Black-backed Wagtail Motacilla (alba) lugens
- Japanese Wagtail Motacilla grandis
- White-browed Wagtail Motacilla madaraspatensis
- Mekong Wagtail Motacilla samveasnae
- African Pied Wagtail Motacilla aguimp
- Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola - possibly paraphyletic
- Blue-headed Wagtail Motacilla flava - paraphyletic
- Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea
- Cape Wagtail Motacilla capensis
- Madagascar Wagtail Motacilla flaviventris
- Mountain Wagtail Motacilla clara
- White Wagtail Motacilla alba - possibly paraphyletic
- Genus Dendronanthus
- Forest Wagtail, Dendronanthus indicus
- Genus Macronyx: longclaws
- Cape Longclaw, Macronyx capensis
- Yellow-throated Longclaw, Macronyx croceus
- Fuelleborn's Longclaw, Macronyx fuellebornii
- Sharpe's Longclaw, Macronyx sharpei
- Abyssinian Longclaw, Macronyx flavicollis
- Pangani Longclaw, Macronyx aurantiigula
- Rosy-breasted Longclaw, Macronyx ameliae
- Grimwood's Longclaw, Macronyx grimwoodi.
[edit] External links
- Motacillidae videos on the Internet Bird Collection
