Motacilla feldegg Michahelles, 1830 ♂
Syn.: Motacilla flava feldegg
Common names: Black-headed Wagtail, Black-headed Yellow Wagtail, Eastern Yellow Wagtail [En], Bergeronnette à tête noire, Bergeronnette des Balkans [Fr], Balkankwikstaart, Kaspische Gele Kwikstaart [Nl], Maskenstelze, Schafstelze-feldegg [De], Lavandera Boyera Balcánica [Es], Μαυροκέφαλος Ζευκαλάτης [Gr], Karabaş Kuyruksallayan [Tu]
Dipkarpaz (Ριζοκάρπασο), İSKELE (Τρίκωμο) ● Cyprus
Description: The male in breeding plumage has velvet-black crown, lores, ear coverts, nape and sometimes fore mantle. Some specimens have white of yellow supercilium. The upperparts are yellow-green or greyish-yellowish-green, the rump is slightly bright. The underparts are bright-yellow, the chin sometimes is white. The wing coverts and flight feathers are brownish with white, yellowish or yellow edges. The two outer pairs of tail feathers are white with some dark on the inner webs; all other tail feathers are dark-brownish with narrow pale edges. The bill and legs are black.
The female in breeding plumage is brownish green-olive tinged above; the rump is greyish. Old specimens have dim-black head, neck, ear coverts and lores. Upperparts are white slightly yellowish tinged. The wing coverts and flight feathers are with narrow white or yellowish edges. The tail feathers are same on male, the bill and legs are brownish.
After autumn molting the Black-headed Wagtails have on upperparts greenish-yellow tips of feathers which almost full hid the black color of male's head; therefore males and females are similar.
Juveniles in first plumage are buffy-brownish, ear coverts are whitish black mottled. After the autumn molting juveniles are similar on female.
Biology: During migration it visits pastures, desert areas near lakes and reed beds, joining the flocks of thousands birds with other Motacilla species. Most birds migrate mid – end April, last spring migrants recorded early – mid May. It breeds in loose colonies. The nest is built on ground under the grass shelter or dry cowpat from the dry grass and is lined with hair or thin grass. Clutches of 4-6 egg appears late April to late June. Both parents feed juveniles, which fledge in end May to mid July. The autumn migration begins in August; last autumn migrants recorded in early October.
It is a common migrant in Cyprus each Spring.
Habitat: Flooded meadows, shores of lakes with rare reeds or tall grass and scattered bushes; mostly on plains but also on foothills up to 1900 m.
Distribution: Balkans to Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan; East Africa, South Asia.
References:
Birds of Kazakhstan
Avibase
- Created on
- Thursday 4 April 2013
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