Madagascar Wagtail
Motacilla flaviventris
The Madagascar Wagtail (Motacilla flaviventris) is a rare wagtails and pipit found in 2 countries, weighing about 23 g. The Madagascar wagtail is a species of wagtail in the family Motacillidae.
About the Madagascar Wagtail
The Madagascar wagtail is a species of wagtail in the family Motacillidae. It is endemic to Madagascar.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The Madagascar wagtail is a large, elegant and slender wagtail which has grey upperparts, a white breast and a yellow belly. There is a black band across the breast and the long tail has a dark centre and white outer tail feathers. There is short white supercilium. Juveniles have a less conspicuous breast band and a fainter supercilium. The body length is 19 cm (7.5 in).
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: July, August, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in November. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Madagascar Wagtail?
- The Madagascar wagtail is a large, elegant and slender wagtail which has grey upperparts, a white breast and a yellow belly. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Madagascar Wagtail?
- The Madagascar Wagtail is a small sized bird weighing about 23 g.
- Where can you see a Madagascar Wagtail?
- The Madagascar Wagtail occurs in 2 countries, including Madagascar and Moldova.
- What birds look similar to a Madagascar Wagtail?
- The Madagascar Wagtail is most easily confused with the Mekong Wagtail, the Mountain Wagtail and the Japanese Wagtail.
- Is the Madagascar Wagtail endangered?
- The Madagascar Wagtail is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Madagascar Wagtail for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
Play BeakBrainEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.