Western Yellow Wagtail
Motacilla flava
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyMotacillidae (Wagtails and Pipits)
- GenusMotacilla (Wagtails)
- SpeciesMotacilla flava (Western Yellow Wagtail)
The western yellow wagtail (Motacilla flava) is a small passerine bird in the wagtail family Motacillidae, which also includes the pipits and longclaws. This species breeds in much of temperate Europe and Asia. Most populations are migratory, moving south to tropical Africa and southern Asia for the winter; the small population breeding in Egypt is however resident there. It is a slender 15–16 cm long bird, with the characteristic long, constantly wagging tail of its genus. It is the shortest tailed of the European wagtails. The breeding adult male is basically olive above and yellow below. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Western Yellow Wagtail sighting in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, based on 354 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Ngorongoro Conservation Area
African Pied Wagtail
Motacilla aguimp
Mountain Wagtail
Motacilla clara
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinerea
White Wagtail
Motacilla alba
Grassveld Pipit
Anthus cinnamomeus
Rosy-throated Longclaw
Macronyx ameliae
Plain-backed Pipit
Anthus leucophrys
Yellow-throated Longclaw
Macronyx croceus
Golden Pipit
Tmetothylacus tenellus
Long-billed Pipit
Anthus similis
Tree Pipit
Anthus trivialis
Pangani Longclaw
Macronyx aurantiigula
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Western Yellow Wagtail in Ngorongoro Conservation Area?
About 14% of wildlife watchers report a Western Yellow Wagtail sighting in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, based on 354 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Western Yellow Wagtail in Ngorongoro Conservation Area?
January has the highest sighting rate for Western Yellow Wagtail in Ngorongoro Conservation Area in our monthly data.