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Citrine Wagtail

Larks, Pipits & Wagtails

Photo: egorbirder · CC BY 4.0

Motacilla citreola

Basic stats

Diet

Insects

Habitat

Wet meadows, bogs and tundra when breeding

Range

Breeds in the central Palearctic; winters in South Asia

Clutch size

4–5 eggs

Size

15.5–17cm

The citrine wagtail is a slender wagtail, 15.5–17cm long, with the long, constantly wagging tail of its genus. The breeding male is grey or black above with white on the wing feathers, and bright yellow on the underparts and the whole head except for a black nape. In winter the yellow below is diluted by white and the head is brownish with a yellowish eyebrow. Females look like washed-out winter males (Wikipedia, general species account).

It is an insectivorous bird of open country near water, such as wet meadows and bogs, and nests on the ground, laying four or five speckled eggs. It breeds in the central Palearctic and migrates to South Asia for the winter, often to highland areas, and its range is spreading westwards. Its taxonomy is debated because it belongs to a cryptic complex with the yellow wagtails (Wikipedia, general species account).

Quick answers

What does the Citrine Wagtail eat?
Insects
What habitat does the Citrine Wagtail live in?
Wet meadows, bogs and tundra when breeding
Where is the Citrine Wagtail found?
Breeds in the central Palearctic; winters in South Asia
How many eggs does the Citrine Wagtail lay?
4–5 eggs
How big is the Citrine Wagtail?
15.5–17cm
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