Yellow Wagtail
Scientific Name: Motacilla flavaMaltese Name: Isfar
Family: Pipits and Wagtails (Motacillidae)
Occurence: Common
Breeds in Malta: No
Overview:
The yellow wagtail is a small graceful yellow and green bird, with a medium-length tail, and slender black legs. It spends much time walking or running on the ground, feeding on any insects it finds. As its name implies, it wags its tail from time to time. It is a very social bird during migration, when it feeds and roosts in very large numbers. It is a very noisy bird, its short, high pitched call often revealing its presence.
There are at least 5 sub-species of this species which visit the Maltese Islands. The different subspecies are told from their head colour and patterns. The most common subspecies that visit Malta is the flava (blue-headed).
Status:
A common migrant in both Spring (March/April) and Autumn (September/October). Huge numbers seen at dusk as flocks from all over the island head to roost in various reedy spots in malta.
When to See:
Seen from early March till early May in Spring and from late August till early November in Autumn.
Where to See:
Can be seen from anywhere during migration. Ghadira and Simar Nature Reserves are very good places to observe this species feeding in high numbers. Gather in very high amounts in reedy areas (Example: Simar Nature Reserve, Girgenti Valley) at dusk to roost.
Photographs:
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Yellow wagtail ssp.flava (breeds in Central Europe), Ghadira Nature Reserve |
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Yellow wagtail ssp.feldegg (breeds in Balkans, Turkey, Caucasus), Ghadira Nature Reserve |
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Yellow wagtail ssp.thunbergi (breeds in Scandinavia), Ghadira Nature Reserve |
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Yellow wagtail ssp.superciliaris (breeds in South East Russia), Ghadira Nature Reserve |
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