Photo: Frebeck / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Western Yellow Wagtail
Motacilla flava
Western Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 11 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Western Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava) is a member of the Motacillidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 17.7 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Motacillidae Wagtails, Pipits
- Genus Motacilla
- Species flava
Quick facts
- Weight
- 17.7 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Motacillidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Western Yellow Wagtail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Western Yellow Wagtail is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Western Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava) is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL widespread.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 17.7 g, with a wing length of about 8 cm and a tail of around 7.1 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 19.2 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Western Yellow Wagtail?
The Western Yellow Wagtail is a small bird that weighs around 17.7 g.
Where does the Western Yellow Wagtail live?
The Western Yellow Wagtail is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL widespread, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Western Yellow Wagtail belong to?
The Western Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava) belongs to the Motacillidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Western Yellow Wagtail eat?
The Western Yellow Wagtail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Western Yellow Wagtail migrate?
The Western Yellow Wagtail is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Western Yellow Wagtail endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Western Yellow Wagtail make?
1 real field recording of the Western Yellow Wagtail — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Western Yellow Wagtail's range?
The Western Yellow Wagtail has a mapped global range of about 19.2 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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