A yellow wagtail (Motacilla flava) is a summer visitor to the UK, most commonly seen in damp marshes and meadows in the south and east of England.
Learn how to identify them, what they sound like and where they live with our expert bird guide.
What does a yellow wagtail look like?
The yellow wagtail is about 17cm long with an olive-green back, yellow underside and a black-and-white tail (males are brighter than females). They have a short tail compared to the UK's other two breeding wagtail species: the pied wagtail and the grey wagtail.
Yellow wagtail vs grey wagtail
The confusion surrounding wagtail names is a shame, because the yellow wagtail is a glorious buttery yellow, especially on the face, where the grey wagtail lacks bright colours.
The breast yellow is more fulsome than the grey wagtail’s lemon shade, although both are stunning.
The female yellow wagtail is a washed out, wan version of the male, and the juvenile is brownish.
Something that’s often overlooked is that at all times, you can instantly separate yellow from grey wagtail because it has black, not pink legs.
The yellow wagtail also has the shortest tail of our three species, which is really obvious when the bird is flying overhead, with the usual wagtail undulating flight. However, it still wags it.
Yellow wagtail habitat and distribution
This lovely bird is fast declining in Britain, mainly because it flourishes in the much-threatened habitat of wet meadows, which are often by rivers, but not always.
It may also breed in agricultural fields, especially of potatoes, where its cup nest is placed on the ground, well hidden. It’s found mainly in lowland England, especially towards the east.
What do yellow wagtails eat?
It’s a good thing that humankind has, over the centuries, domesticated large, grazing animals such as cattle and horses. Without them, how on Earth are birdwatchers going to see yellow wagtails?
It’s a piece of birding folklore that yellow wagtails, both on migration and when breeding, are drawn to the feet of large animals, fielding any insects that they might disturb. The wagtails typically fly up and catch anything flushed in midair.
In the winter, these migrants do the same to large game animals, such as buffaloes, in Africa.
Yellow wagtail call
When flying, the yellow wagtail makes a loud and enthusiastic “sweep” call.
Yellow wagtail population
Yellow wagtails are an uncommon summer visitor, March-September, with 20,000 pairs in the UK. They are listed as Red List of Conservation Concern, and are in serious decline, down 69% from 1967-2020.
Yellow wagtail roosts
At night, like the pied wagtail, it often roosts in large groups, especially on migration and in winter down in Africa.
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