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Yellow Wagtail

Motacilla flava

Not yet photographed by the community

Bright yellow summer visitor; declining meadow bird.

Species Profile

Amber List (due to population decline and restricted breeding range in the UK)

Lifespan: 3–5 years in the wild
Size & Weight: 16–17 cm, wingspan 25–27 cm; 13–18 g
Habitat: Open grasslands, marshes, wet meadows, and cultivated fields with short vegetation and nearby water.
UK Distribution: Summer breeding visitor, primarily to southern and central England, with small numbers in Wales and southern Scotland; arrives April–May and departs August–September.
Diet: Primarily small insects and invertebrates including flies, gnats, midges, small beetles, and spiders, foraged by walking on the ground or in shallow water.
Prey: Small insects, gnats, midges, flies, beetles, and spiders
Predators: Sparrowhawks, merlins, foxes, and corvids such as magpies and crows; nest predation by corvids and rats
Mating Season: April to July
Breeding: Clutch of 4–6 eggs, incubation period 10–11 days, fledging at 10–12 days; typically one brood per season.
Behaviour: Highly active and restless foragers, often seen walking quickly through short grass with characteristic bobbing tail movements. Highly social during migration and winter, forming flocks with other wagtail species. Males are highly territorial during breeding season with distinctive head-pattern displays that vary by subspecies.

Did You Know?

•Males display striking head patterns that vary by subspecies—some have white heads, others black or grey, making subspecies identification challenging
•The yellow on their underparts gives them their common name, though plumage varies considerably between subspecies and sexes
•They often feed around grazing livestock, picking insects disturbed by the animals' movements
•Yellow Wagtails have declined significantly as a UK breeding bird, particularly since the 1990s due to habitat loss and changes in farming practices
•They are highly migratory, with British breeders wintering in sub-Saharan Africa, whilst continental birds sometimes pass through the UK during migration

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