Motacillidae
Encyclopedia
The Motacillidae are a family
of small passerine
bird
s with medium to long tails. There are around 65 species in 6 genera
and they include the wagtail
s, longclaw
s and pipit
s. The longclaws are entirely restricted to the Afrotropics, and the wagtails are predominately found in Europe, Africa and Asia, with two species migrating and breeding
in Alaska
. The pipits have the most cosmopolitan distribution
, being found across mostly in the Old World but occurring also in the Americas and oceanic islands such as New Zealand
and the Falklands. Two African species, the Yellow-breasted Pipit
and Sharpe's Longclaw
are sometimes placed in a separate seventh genus, Hemimacronyx
, which is closely related to the longclaws.
in size. Overall the robust longclaws are larger than the pipits and wagtails. Longclaws can weigh as much as 64 g, whereas the weight range for pipits and wagtails is 15–31 g. The plumage
of most pipits is dull brown and reminiscent of the lark
s, although some species have brighter plumages, particularly the Golden Pipit
of north-east Africa. The adult male longclaws have brightly coloured undersides. The wagtails often have striking plumage, including grey, black, white, and yellow.
Most motacillids are ground-feeding insectivores of slightly open country. They occupy almost all available habitats, from the shore to high mountains. Wagtails prefer wetter habitats to the pipits. A few species use forests, including the Forest Wagtail
, and other species use forested mountain streams, such as the Grey Wagtail
or the Mountain Wagtail
.
Motacillids take a wide range of invertebrate prey, especially insects are the most commonly taken, but also including spiders, worms, and small aquatic molluscs and arthropods. All species seem to be fairly catholic in their diet, and the most commonly taken prey for any particular species or population usually reflects local availability.
With the exception of the Forest Wagtail, they nest on the ground, laying up to six speckled eggs.
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FAMILY: MOTACILLIDAE
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
of small passerine
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s with medium to long tails. There are around 65 species in 6 genera
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
and they include the wagtail
Wagtail
The wagtails form the passerine bird genus Motacilla. They are small birds with long tails which they wag frequently. Motacilla, the root of the family and genus name, means moving tail...
s, longclaw
Longclaw
The longclaws are a genus of small African passerine birds with long tails, which they wag frequently. They are in the same family as the pipits and wagtails.Longclaws are slender, often colorful, ground-feeding insectivores of open country...
s and pipit
Pipit
The pipits are a cosmopolitan genus, Anthus, of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. Along with the wagtails and longclaws, the pipits make up the family Motacillidae...
s. The longclaws are entirely restricted to the Afrotropics, and the wagtails are predominately found in Europe, Africa and Asia, with two species migrating and breeding
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. The pipits have the most cosmopolitan distribution
Cosmopolitan distribution
In biogeography, a taxon is said to have a cosmopolitan distribution if its range extends across all or most of the world in appropriate habitats. For instance, the killer whale has a cosmopolitan distribution, extending over most of the world's oceans. Other examples include humans, the lichen...
, being found across mostly in the Old World but occurring also in the Americas and oceanic islands such as New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and the Falklands. Two African species, the Yellow-breasted Pipit
Yellow-breasted Pipit
The Yellow-breasted Pipit is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Lesotho and South Africa.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland, arable land, and pastureland....
and Sharpe's Longclaw
Sharpe's Longclaw
The Sharpe's Longclaw, Hemimacronyx sharpei, is a passerine bird in the longclaw family Motacillidae, which also includes the pipits and wagtails...
are sometimes placed in a separate seventh genus, Hemimacronyx
Hemimacronyx
Hemimacronyx is a proposed genus of birds in the pipit and wagtail family Motacillidae. It contains two species that are usually treated as bellowing to two larger genera, Macronyx and Anthus...
, which is closely related to the longclaws.
Description
Wagtails, pipits, and longclaws are slender, small to medium sized passerines, ranging from 14 to 17 centimetres in length, with short necks and long tails. They have long, pale legs with long toes and claws, particularly the hind toe which can be up to 4 cm in length in some longclaws. There is no sexual dimorphismSexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
in size. Overall the robust longclaws are larger than the pipits and wagtails. Longclaws can weigh as much as 64 g, whereas the weight range for pipits and wagtails is 15–31 g. The plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
of most pipits is dull brown and reminiscent of the lark
Lark
Larks are passerine birds of the family Alaudidae. All species occur in the Old World, and in northern and eastern Australia; only one, the Shore Lark, has spread to North America, where it is called the Horned Lark...
s, although some species have brighter plumages, particularly the Golden Pipit
Golden Pipit
The Golden Pipit is a distinctive pipit of dry country grassland, savanna and shrubland in eastern Africa. It is native to Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, and has occurred as a vagrant to Oman, South Africa and Zimbabwe.The adult male, unlike most pipits, is very easy to...
of north-east Africa. The adult male longclaws have brightly coloured undersides. The wagtails often have striking plumage, including grey, black, white, and yellow.
Most motacillids are ground-feeding insectivores of slightly open country. They occupy almost all available habitats, from the shore to high mountains. Wagtails prefer wetter habitats to the pipits. A few species use forests, including the Forest Wagtail
Forest Wagtail
The Forest Wagtail is a medium-sized passerine bird in the wagtail family Motacillidae. It has a distinctive plumage that sets it apart from other wagtails and has the habit of wagging its tail sideways unlike the usual up and down movements of the other wagtail species. It is the only wagtail...
, and other species use forested mountain streams, such as the Grey Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
The Grey Wagtail is a small member of the wagtail family, Motacillidae. The species looks similar to the Yellow Wagtail but has the yellow on its underside restricted to the throat and vent. Breeding males have a black throat...
or the Mountain Wagtail
Mountain Wagtail
The Mountain Wagtail , also known as the Long-tailed Wagtail, is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family....
.
Motacillids take a wide range of invertebrate prey, especially insects are the most commonly taken, but also including spiders, worms, and small aquatic molluscs and arthropods. All species seem to be fairly catholic in their diet, and the most commonly taken prey for any particular species or population usually reflects local availability.
With the exception of the Forest Wagtail, they nest on the ground, laying up to six speckled eggs.
Species and genera
- Genus Anthus: typical pipits
- (c.40 species; see genus page)
- Genus Tmetothylacus
- Golden PipitGolden PipitThe Golden Pipit is a distinctive pipit of dry country grassland, savanna and shrubland in eastern Africa. It is native to Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, and has occurred as a vagrant to Oman, South Africa and Zimbabwe.The adult male, unlike most pipits, is very easy to...
, Tmetothylacus tenellus
- Golden Pipit
- Genus Motacilla: typical wagtails
- White WagtailWhite Wagtail"Pied Wagtail" redirects here. For the related African bird, see African Pied Wagtail.The White Wagtail is a small passerine bird in the wagtail family Motacillidae, which also includes the pipits and longclaws. This species breeds in much of Europe and Asia and parts of north Africa...
Motacilla alba - possibly paraphyletic- Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba yarrellii
- Black-backed Wagtail Motacilla (alba) lugens
- Japanese WagtailJapanese WagtailThe Japanese Wagtail, Motacilla grandis, is a species of bird in the pipit and wagtail family Motacillidae. It breeds in Japan and Korea. Vagrant birds have been recorded in Taiwan, eastern China and far-eastern Russia. In Japan, it is generally common from Kyushu northward, but uncommon in...
Motacilla grandis - White-browed WagtailWhite-browed WagtailThe White-browed Wagtail or Large Pied Wagtail is a medium-sized bird and is the largest member of the wagtail family. They are conspicuously patterned with black above and white below, a prominent white brow, shoulder stripe and outer tail feathers...
Motacilla madaraspatensis - Mekong WagtailMekong WagtailThe Mekong Wagtail is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist shrubland and rivers....
Motacilla samveasnae - African Pied WagtailAfrican Pied WagtailThe African Pied Wagtail is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.-Habitat and distribution:It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Equatorial...
Motacilla aguimp - Citrine WagtailCitrine WagtailThe Citrine Wagtail or Yellow-headed Wagtail is a small songbird in the family Motacillidae. The term citrine refers to its yellowish colouration. Its systematics, phylogeny and taxonomy are subject of considerable debate in the early 21st century. This is because this bird forms a cryptic...
Motacilla citreola - possibly paraphyletic - Blue-headed WagtailBlue-headed WagtailThe Yellow Wagtail, Motacilla flava, is a small passerine in the wagtail family Motacillidae, which also includes the pipits and longclaws.This species breeds in much of temperate Europe and Asia and has a foothold in North America in Alaska...
Motacilla flava - paraphyletic - Grey WagtailGrey WagtailThe Grey Wagtail is a small member of the wagtail family, Motacillidae. The species looks similar to the Yellow Wagtail but has the yellow on its underside restricted to the throat and vent. Breeding males have a black throat...
Motacilla cinerea - Cape WagtailCape WagtailThe Cape Wagtail is a small passerine bird in the family Motacillidae, which includes the wagtails, pipits and longclaws....
Motacilla capensis - Madagascar WagtailMadagascar WagtailThe Madagascar Wagtail is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is endemic to Madagascar.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland and rivers.-References:...
Motacilla flaviventris - Mountain WagtailMountain WagtailThe Mountain Wagtail , also known as the Long-tailed Wagtail, is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family....
Motacilla clara
- White Wagtail
- Genus Dendronanthus
- Forest WagtailForest WagtailThe Forest Wagtail is a medium-sized passerine bird in the wagtail family Motacillidae. It has a distinctive plumage that sets it apart from other wagtails and has the habit of wagging its tail sideways unlike the usual up and down movements of the other wagtail species. It is the only wagtail...
, Dendronanthus indicus
- Forest Wagtail
- Genus Macronyx: longclaws
- Cape LongclawCape LongclawThe Cape Longclaw or Orange-throated Longclaw, Macronyx capensis, is a passerine bird in the family Motacillidae, which comprises the longclaws, pipits and wagtails. It occurs in Southern Africa in Zimbabwe and southern and eastern South Africa. This species is found in coastal and mountain...
, Macronyx capensis - Yellow-throated LongclawYellow-throated LongclawThe Yellow-throated Longclaw is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya,...
, Macronyx croceus - Fuelleborn's LongclawFuelleborn's LongclawThe Fülleborn's Longclaw , also spelled Fuelleborn's Longclaw is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family...
, Macronyx fuellebornii - Sharpe's LongclawSharpe's LongclawThe Sharpe's Longclaw, Hemimacronyx sharpei, is a passerine bird in the longclaw family Motacillidae, which also includes the pipits and wagtails...
, Macronyx sharpei - Abyssinian LongclawAbyssinian LongclawThe Abyssinian Longclaw, Macronyx flavicollis, is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family. It is endemic to Ethiopia.-Habitat:Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland and arable land.The Abyssinian Longclaw is very similar in both appearance and behavior to the...
, Macronyx flavicollis - Pangani LongclawPangani LongclawThe Pangani Longclaw is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family, which includes the pipits and wagtails.It is found in Kenya, Somalia, and Tanzania....
, Macronyx aurantiigula - Rosy-breasted Longclaw, Macronyx ameliae
- Grimwood's LongclawGrimwood's LongclawThe Grimwood's Longclaw is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zambia....
, Macronyx grimwoodi.
- Cape Longclaw
External links
- Motacillidae videos on the Internet Bird Collection