ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

Western Yellow Wagtail
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The Western Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava) is a small passerine bird in the wagtail family Motacillidae, which also includes the pipits and longclaws.

Physical Characteristics
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The Western Yellow Wagtail measures approximately 16 cm in length. It has a slender body with a long, often moving tail characteristic of its genus. The plumage colors refer to males, except where noted.

Taxonomy
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The Western Yellow Wagtail was formally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 under the binomial name Motacilla flava. Initially, the type locality was specified as Europe, but this is now restricted to southern Sweden. The species forms a cryptic species complex with Citreola, and both taxa are paraphyletic with respect to each other.

Subspecies
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The scientific name of the genus, Motacilla, has Latin roots referring to the characteristic movement of the rear part of the bird. The Greek popular name "surada" refers to the yellow wing of the bird, while the term "flava" in the species' name also describes this characteristic feature.

Systematic Classification
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The Western Yellow Wagtail presents many problems for systematic taxonomy, including intersections of existing populations, gender differences, and incomplete data. The introduction of molecular data has further complicated the situation. Relations between individual taxa remain largely unclear, and further research is necessary to collect more data.

Hybridization and Taxonomic Puzzle
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Yellowsurada, an ostrich bird of the Seisopygid family, shares the same scientific name Motacilla flava with the Western Yellow Wagtail. However, this has led to a taxonomic puzzle, as dozens of taxa have been described as subspecies, but their status remains unclear. Some researchers have upgraded these subspecies to distinct species.

External Links
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* Enlargement and sexing (PDF; English)
* Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds