Bird Guide

Citrine Wagtail vs Japanese Wagtail

Citrine Wagtail (Motacilla citreola)

Citrine Wagtail

Motacilla citreola

Small19 gWetland

It is a slender, 15.5–17 cm long bird, with the long, constantly wagging tail characteristic of the genus Motacilla. The adult male in breeding plumage is basically grey or black above, with white on the remiges, and bright yellow below and on the entire head except for the black nape. In winter plumage, its yellow underparts may be diluted by white, and the head is brownish with a yellowish supercilium. Females look generally like washed-out versions of males in winter plumage.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Citrine Wagtail
Recorded by Kevin Guille · Alarm call, call · Birky, Lyubeshivs'kyi district, Volyn Oblast, Ukraine · CC0
Photo: (c) egorbirder, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Japanese Wagtail (Motacilla grandis)

Japanese Wagtail

Motacilla grandis

Small30 gRiverine

The Japanese wagtail is about 20 cm long. The sexes look similar; they have white underparts and black upperparts, throats, and backs. Their supercilia are also white. They have black beaks and dark grey legs and feet. The plumage of a juvenile is greyer than that of an adult.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: nubobo from Iwata, Shizuoka, Japan · CC BY 2.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Citrine Wagtail and Japanese Wagtail.