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Yellow wagtail

    Yellow wagtail

    Motacilla flava


Castilian: Lavandera boyera

Catalan: Cuereta groga

Gallego: Lavandeira marela

Euskera: Larre-buztanikara


CLASIFICACIÓN:

Orden: Passeriformes

Family: Motacillidae

Migratory status: Summer resident


CONSERVATION STATUS:

On the National List of Threatened Species, it appears in the “Of Special Interest” category. In the 2004 edition of the Red Book of Spanish Birds (Libro Rojo de las Aves de España) it is listed as “Not Evaluated”.

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THREATS

It is exposed to general problems caused by loss of habitat, the alteration of wetlands and livestock pastures, and pollution from agricultral and aquatic sectors.


Length / size: 17 cm / 25 cm

Identification: There are several subspecies, and here we will focus on the iberiae subspecies: the male's back during mating season is olive green, his wing feathers are black and edged in white, his underparts are yellow, his tail is long and black with white external feathers, and hits legs and bill are black. His head is bluish-grey, his throat and forehead are white, and his ocular and auricular areas are dark. The female is less colourful: her head is greenish-grey and her underparts are a soft yellow. In autumn the male's plumage is like the female's during mating season. It interacts with livestock, especially with cattle.

Song: It is composed of two high-pitched and mournful notes, "see-ee, pee-eep", which turn into a screeching "sreeee-sreeee".

Diet: It feeds on aquatic and land insects, especially larvae and adult mosquitoes, flies and bugs, which it captures by searching and pecking on the ground, which can be dry or have puddles.

Reproduction: The breeding period begins in March. It is a monogamous and territorial species. The nest is a small bowl made of dry grass on the ground, protected by a bush; it is exclusively built by the female. Both parents are in charge of incubation and caring for the chicks. This species is a host for the common cuckoo.


HABITAT

It occupies open wet areas, such as fields, flooded pastureland, marshes, estuaries, irrigated farmland, rice fields, etc. It usually breeds between sea level and just above an altitude of 1,000 metres, although it is rare above 800 metres.


DISTRIBUTION

In Spain: It breeds in the Balearic Islands and in the peninsula in four principal concentrations: the Duero river basin; the Centabrian-Galician coast; the low Guadalquivir-Gulf of Cádiz area; and the Meso-Mediterranean-Balearic coast.

In Castile and León: It is distributed throughout the entire community.

Movements and migrations: The spring passage takes place in April, and the autumn one in September. The Spanish specimens winter in Sahel and possibly in Morocco.


POPULATION

In Spain: There is an estimated population of 100000 breeding pairs.

In Castile and León: