Western Yellow Wagtail

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Western Yellow Wagtail in the UK

Yellow Wagtail is a summer visitor that winters in Africa. It arrives in April and most have left by October. The British race, flavissima, breeds almost nowhere else, so the UK holds nearly the whole world population of this form. Numbers have fallen fast since the early 1980s, down 69% between 1967 and 2020, and it has been Red-listed since 2009. Most now breed in England, with only a few in Wales and Scotland and none in Ireland. Strongholds are East Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, the Fens, the Broads and the Essex and Kent marshes.

Where and when to see a Western Yellow Wagtail

Mid-April to May for arriving birds, and August to September for return passage. Look on coastal grazing marsh, damp pasture, reservoir banks and around the feet of cattle and horses, where birds chase insects. Breeding pairs in eastern England also use arable crops such as potatoes, peas, beans and cereals. In late summer, flocks gather with livestock before heading south. Many are noticed first by call as they fly over.

Habitat, diet and field notes

Habitat: Wet meadows, arable (summer).
Diet: Insects.
Field note: Lemon-yellow male; declining.

How to identify a Western Yellow Wagtail

A slim wagtail with the shortest tail of the British species. Spring males are bright yellow on the face and underparts and olive-green above. Females are duller and paler yellow below. Juveniles are brownish above and buff below with a pale throat and a dark smudge across the breast. Legs are black. The tail is dark with white outer feathers. It walks and runs on the ground and wags its tail less than a Pied Wagtail. Continental males with blue-grey heads turn up among spring flocks.

Call and song

A loud, sweet, slightly drawn-out 'tsweep', usually given in flight. The song is a brief, simple run of a few scratchy notes and is easy to miss. Heard something you cannot place? Bird Hear identifies UK birds from a 10 second recording, free in your browser.

Confusion species

• Grey Wagtail: Grey Wagtail has a grey back, a much longer tail, pink legs and yellow strongest under the tail, and lives on streams all year.
• Pied Wagtail: Juvenile Pied Wagtails can show a yellowish face, but they are grey above with a dark breast band and a longer tail.
• Citrine Wagtail: This rare vagrant has a grey back, two broad white wing-bars and, in young birds, a pale surround to the cheek.

Month by month

A summer visitor, typically in the UK from April to September. Numbers peak in May. See the May birding guide for what else is about. More on the season in Bird migration in Britain.

Taller bars mean more birds about. Grey means it is usually absent.

Conservation status and Birdedex points

In the Birdedex the Western Yellow Wagtail is an Uncommon tier bird, worth +3 points when you log one. It is Red-listed in Birds of Conservation Concern 5, the highest level of concern in the UK.

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• White WagtailUncommon · Coast
• Black-headed WagtailEpic · Marshes (very rare race)
• Citrine WagtailRare · Marshes (rare passage)
• Eastern Yellow WagtailEpic · Marshes (very rare vagrant)
• Grey-headed WagtailRare · Marshes (rare passage)
• Iberian Pied WagtailEpic · Open ground (very rare)

Western Yellow Wagtail: quick answers

Where can I see a Yellow Wagtail in the UK?

Eastern England is the best bet, from the Humber south to the Thames. On passage they can appear anywhere with short grass and livestock, including inland reservoirs and coastal fields in the south and west.

When is the best time to see Yellow Wagtail?

Late April and early May, when freshly arrived males are at their brightest and feed in the open. Late August is the peak for flocks, though by then many birds are duller juveniles.

What does a Yellow Wagtail eat?

Small insects, mainly flies and beetles, taken from the ground or in short flycatching sallies. It often feeds close to grazing animals, which disturb insects from the grass.

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