Eastern Yellow Wagtail
Eastern Yellow Wagtail
Motacilla tschutschensis
At a Glance
This Asian species is common over much of western and northern Alaska in summer, nesting around scrub willow thickets on the tundra. If a birder intrudes on their nesting territory, a pair of Yellow Wagtails will often hover overhead, repeatedly calling in shrill voices.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Perching Birds, Wagtails and Pipits
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Tundra and Boreal Habitats
Region
Alaska and The North, California
Behavior
Undulating
Population
20.000.000
Range & Identification
Migration & Range Maps
In Alaska, mostly arrives in late May and departs in August. Birds from Alaska probably winter mostly in the Australasian region.
Description
6 1/2" (17 cm). Dull olive above, yellow below. Rather long tail, black with white edges. Females somewhat duller than males. Yellow Wagtails reported in summer in the Rockies are probably American Pipits, which can be bright buff below and unstreaked in breeding plumage.
Size
About the size of a Robin, About the size of a Sparrow
Color
Black, Brown, Gray, White, Yellow
Wing Shape
Pointed
Tail Shape
Long, Rounded, Square-tipped
Songs and Calls
Rarely sings, but often utters a call: tsweep. Alarm note sounds like ple-ple-ple.
Call Pattern
Falling, Flat
Call Type
Chirp/Chip, Hi, Trill, Whistle
Habitat
Willow scrub on tundra, marshy country. In Alaska, breeds on tundra, especially in areas with low thickets of dwarf willow or birch. In the Old World, various races of Yellow Wagtail are found in practically any kind of open country.
Sign up for Audubon's newsletter to learn more about birds like the Eastern Yellow Wagtail
Behavior
Eggs
In Alaska, 4-5 eggs, sometimes 3-6. Whitish to buff, heavily dotted with brown. Incubation is by both parents (but female may do more), 11-13 days.
Young
Both parents feed nestlings. Young leave the nest about 10-13 days after hatching, but often unable to fly for another 3-6 days.
Feeding Behavior
Feeds on ground or along edge of very shallow water. Forages by walking and picking up items, by making quick dashes to grab active insects, or by flying up to catch insects in the air. Sometimes may pick insects from foliage while hovering.
Diet
Mostly insects. Diet in North America not known in detail. In Eurasia, feeds on a wide variety of insects including midges and other flies, beetles, aphids, ants, and many others. Also eats spiders, plus a few small snails, worms, berries, and seeds.
Nesting
Male may sing in flight to defend territory and attract a mate. In courtship on ground, male may crouch with drooped wings and tail, body feathers fluffed up, while he runs around female; also may hover over her with tail spread widely. Nest site is on ground, usually well hidden under low matted shrub or overhanging grass, or tucked into side of sedge hummock. Nest (probably built by female only) is a cup of grass, leaves, weeds, moss, lichens, lined with softer material such as animal hair or feathers.
Climate Vulnerability
Conservation Status
Alaskan population seems to be doing well.