Motacilla tschutschensis
The Eastern Yellow Wagtail (*Motacilla tschutschensis*) is a slender, long-legged passerine bird belonging to the wagtail family Motacillidae, known for its characteristic tail-wagging motion. Measuring 15-18 cm (6-7 inches) in length and weighing 12-26 grams, males in breeding plumage are striking, featuring bright yellow underparts, olive-green backs, and various complex head patterns—from plain olive-brown with a white supercilium to contrasting dark ear coverts, depending on the subspecie...
Breeds in open, wet grasslands, tundras, sedge meadows, and marshy river valleys, often near water bodies like ponds or slow-moving rivers. Typically found at low elevations.
Feeds primarily on a wide variety of insects and other invertebrates, including flies, beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars, and spiders, gleaned from the ground or caught in flight.
Eastern Yellow Wagtails are diurnal and highly active, foraging continuously by walking rapidly across the ground to glean insects or making short, agile flights to snatch prey from the air. Their characteristic tail-wagging may help flush hidden insects or signal to conspecifics. During the bree...
The Eastern Yellow Wagtail breeds extensively across northeastern Siberia, east of the Lena River, through the Russian Far East (Chukotka, Kamchatka, Sakhalin Island), and across the Bering Strait into western Alaska, including the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands, and parts of the Yukon Territory i...
Least Concern
- The Eastern Yellow Wagtail was only recently recognized as a distinct species from the Western Yellow Wagtail (*Motacilla flava*) based on genetic and vocal differences, a significant taxonomic event for ornithologists. - Its common name, "wagtail," comes from its distinctive and constant habit...