Citrine Wagtail
Motacilla citreola
Aves › Passeriformes › Motacillidae › Motacilla
Conservation status: least_concern
The Citrine Wagtail is a common and highly adaptable wagtail species found across diverse open habitats. These birds spend much of their time foraging on the ground, utilizing their keen eyesight to locate food sources from short hops or quick movements.
How To Identify
It is a small, sleek passerine with generally brownish plumage that helps it blend into dry grasses. Its distinguishing features include flashes of bright citrine yellow coloring and a noticeably wagging tail.
Habitat
It typically inhabits open grasslands, wetlands, and marshy areas across Central Asia, with populations favoring grassy steppes and waterside vegetation.
Behaviour
The Citrine Wagtail characteristically forages for insects by walking along the ground with a constantly bobbing tail, and it frequently calls in flight with a distinctive chip note.
Did You Know?
The Citrine Wagtail's bright yellow plumage makes it one of the most visually striking wagtail species, and males undergo dramatic seasonal plumage changes to display their breeding colors.
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