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Yellow Wagtail


Yellow Wagtail
Photo Information
Copyright: Pekka Valo (pekkavalo1) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 311 W: 42 N: 1210] (3817)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-05-19
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 40D, Sigma EX 500mm f4.5 APO HSM, RAW ISO 800, Kenko Teleplus Pro 300 DG 1.4x
Exposure: f/8, 1/400 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-05-21 1:05
Viewed: 542
Points: 44
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
A Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava flavissima) at RSPB Elmley Marshes nature reserve.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

The 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. It is resident in the milder parts of its range, such as western Europe, but northern and eastern populations migrate to Africa and south Asia. The Beringian population, Eastern Yellow Wagtail, winters further down the Pacific coast.
This is an insectivorous bird of open country near water, such as wet meadows. It nests in tussocks, laying 4-8 speckled eggs. This is a slender 15-16 cm long bird, with the characteristic long, constantly wagging tail of its genus. It is the shortest tailed of the European wagtails. The breeding adult male is basically olive above and yellow below. In other plumages, the yellow may be diluted by white. The heads of breeding males come in a variety of colours and patterns depending on subspecies.

Systematics
This species' systematics and phylogeny is extremely confusing. Literally dozens of subspecies have been described at one time or another, and some 15-20 are currently considered valid depending on which author reviews them. In addition, the Citrine Wagtail forms a cryptic species complex with this bird; both taxa are paraphyletic in respect to each other.

Currently accepted subspecies
Coloration refers to males except when noted.
• M. f. flava - Blue-headed Wagtail.
Blue-gray head with white supercilium and malar stripe in males, much washed with buffish green in females.
Breeding: S Scandinavia to France and C European mountain ranges, E to Urals. Winter: sub-Saharan Africa.
• M. f. flavissima - Yellow Wagtail or Yellow-crowned Wagtail.
Yellow-green head with a brighter yellow supercilium. Females markedly paler below than males.
Breeding: Britain and English Channel coast. Winter: Africa.
• M. f. thunbergi - Dark-headed Wagtail or Grey-headed Wagtail.
Head dark gray, reaching down to the cheeks, and without white in males; lighter and washed greenish, with vestigial greenish supercilium in females.
Breeding: C and N Scandinavia E to NW Siberia. Winter: E Africa, Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia.
• M. f. iberiae - Iberian Yellow Wagtail.
Like flava, but throat white and gray darker, almost black behind eyes.
Breeding: SE France, Iberia, Maghreb from Tunisia to Banc d'Arguin. Winter: The Gambia to CAR.
• M. f. cinereocapilla Savi, - Ashy-headed Wagtail.
Like iberiae but supercilium absent or vestigial.
Breeding: Sicily, Sardinia, Italy, Slovenia. Winter: coastal Tunisia and Algeria, Mali to Lake Chad.
• M. f. pygmaea - Egyptian Yellow Wagtail.
Similar to cinereocapilla, smaller, less bright.
Nile delta and lower Nile, resident all year.
• M. f. feldegg - Black-headed Wagtail
Like thunbergi but black cap in males, females like a dull thunbergi male above, very washed-out dirty yellowish below, throat white.
Breeding: Balkans E to Caspian Sea, S to Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan; also Levant. Winter: C Africa from Nigeria to Uganda and S Sudan.
• M. f. lutea - Yellow-headed Wagtail.
Head yellow with green neck in males, females like a somewhat more vivid flava female.
Breeding: Lower Volga to Irtysh River and Lake Zaysan. Winter: Africa and Indian subcontinent.
• M. f. beema - Sykes' Wagtail.
Like flava but head lighter gray, ears washed white; sexes often similar.
Breeding: North of lutea, E to Ladakh area. Winter: Indian subcontinent, also E Africa and adjacent Arabia.
• M. f. melanogrisea - Turkestan Black-headed Wagtail.
Similar to feldegg, but white malar stripe and sometimes green neck.
Breeding: Volga Delta E around Caspian Sea to N Afghanistan. Winter: Pakistan and NW India to W Nepal, possibly also NE Africa.
• M. f. plexa - North Siberian Yellow Wagtail.
Males like thunbergi but ears darker, top of head lighter, vestigial supercilium. Females like dull males.
Breeding: Siberia between Khatanga and Kolyma Rivers. Winter: India, SE Asia.
• M. f. tschutschensis - Beringian Yellow Wagtail, Alaska Yellow Wagtail, or Eastern Yellow Wagtail.
Both sexes similar to corresponding flava, but gray of head darker; females often very male-like.
Breeding: around Bering Strait to NW Canada coast. Winter: regions around South China Sea.
• M. f. angarensis - South Siberian Yellow Wagtail.
Males like plexa, but supercilium more pronounced.
Breeding: From S Siberia S through W Transbaikalia to N Mongolia. Winter: SE Asia.
• M. f. leucocephala - White-headed Yellow Wagtail.
Male like flava, but grey of head very pale, almost white. Female like flava females, but head somewhat darker.
Breeding: NW Mongolia and adjacent PRC and Russia. Winter: probably India.
• M. f. taivana - Green-crowned Yellow Wagtail or Kuril Yellow Wagtail.
Like flavissima but daker above, ears much darker, almost black. Sexes similar. Breeding: between ranges of plexa and tschutschensis S via Sakhalin to N Hokkaidō. Winter: Myanmar to Taiwan, S to Wallacea.
• M. f. macronyx - Southeast Siberian Yellow Wagtail.
Males like thunbergi but brighter and more strongly marked overall. Female like in thunbergi but no supercilium. Breeding: SE Transbaikalia E to coast, S to Manchuria. Winter: NW of South China Sea.
• M. f. simillima - Bering Sea Yellow Wagtail or Short-tailed Grey-headed Wagtail.
Both sexes similar to corresponding flava, but supercilium usually less pronounced. Breeding: Kamchatka and Bering Sea isalnds, possibly to Aleuts. Winter: SE Asia S to N Australia.

Nominate Blue-headed Wagtail and Yellow Wagtail form a narrow hybrid zone in northern France. Birds from this zone vary in appearance, but one type, which resembles nominate Blue-headed Wagtail (except that the blue tones to the head are paler and more mauve and the white of the head is more extensive, particularly on the throat, ear-coverts, and supercilium) is colloquially referred to as Channel Wagtail.
pvs, SelenE, Argus, nikosrio, aes_thor, goldyrs, CeltickRanger, uleko, darwin, Gert-Paassen, vanderschelden, GLEM, jaycee, marhowie, haraprasan, parthasarathi has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • pvs Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1149 W: 254 N: 2555] (11569)
  • [2008-05-21 1:21]

Hi Pekka,

A very nice capture,the colors/light and sharpness are superb,the wagtail comes loose from its natural BG,great work

Paul

  • Great 
  • SelenE Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2352 W: 61 N: 3814] (12240)
  • [2008-05-21 1:34]

Hi Pekka,
Beautiful capture of this yellow wagtail. The bird is very well isolated from the bg. It looks like a 3-D. TFS
Greetings,
Selen

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2615 W: 133 N: 7512] (23431)
  • [2008-05-21 1:35]

Hello Pekka,
Excellent capture of flavissima showing the features with good sharpness and lighting. Though the BG is busy it contrasts well with it owing to the sharpness and fine difference in colour.
Nice to view and thanks for shaing it!
Regards, Ivan

Hello Pekka,
excellent capture,very sharp,nice light,color and composition,
regards,
Nikos.

Hi Pekka!
Great POV and composition with this background. Light is very strong but doesn't disturb overall wiev too much. Well done1
cheers
Adrian

  • Great 
  • cloud Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 110 W: 60 N: 217] (1873)
  • [2008-05-21 2:16]

Hi Pekka,
Beautiful yellow colour of the bird among sandy environment. Very good sharpness and pose.
Regards, Pawel

Very well seen and captured, Pekka.
Love the colours you've put on display so well!
cheers!
Goldy

hello Pekka

excellent shot of the Yellow Wagtail with fine POV, DOF
and framing, excellent luminosity of the image,
great sharpness and details of the bird and his plumage,
and what a wonderful contrast of the bird's colour
with the rest of the image, TFS

Asbed

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1331 W: 107 N: 4825] (21400)
  • [2008-05-21 6:22]

Hello Pekka, great details in this shot, the composition is very well done and the exposure is spot on, thanks!

Mario

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2470 W: 168 N: 7478] (23630)
  • [2008-05-21 7:29]

Hej Pekka,
What a fine sharp capture of the Yellow Wagtail in a natural environment. Excellent sharpness and beautiful colours that makes it stand out sharply among the debris. Well done!
TFS and cheers, Ulla

Hi Pekka
Very nice capture with fine detail and good sharpness
Lovely natural colors and nice light
tfs jon

Hello Pekka,

Good pov and nicely captured.
Beautiful coloured bird.
TFS.

Gert

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1215 W: 68 N: 2524] (8319)
  • [2008-05-21 10:30]

Hello Pekka,
Very beautiful photo with a sharp-detailed focus. Great natural and contrasting colours and environment. Great POV.
Regards,
Peter

Well done, Pekka.
Well composed. Good light. Sharpness is okay...
TFS
Annick

  • Great 
  • GLEM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 524 W: 87 N: 693] (5739)
  • [2008-05-21 14:10]

hi Pekka,
fine image de cet oiseau, sa couleur ressort particulièrement de l'ensemble un peu fouilli. Bonne netteté.

gl

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1791 W: 8 N: 4653] (15039)
  • [2008-05-21 16:55]

Hi Pekka,

I was away on a trip for a few days and have a lot of catching up to do. This Wagtail is just beautiful with wonderful colors and razor sharp details. I love the pose and the setting.

Jane

Good exposure, nice color, and sharp detail Pekka.
Great DOF bringing in the immediate area around the bird, with the BG nicely OOF. I like the comp & POV also :)
Howard

  • Great 
  • PaulH Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1033 W: 26 N: 3000] (10824)
  • [2008-05-22 1:18]

Hi Pekka,
excellent shot, i really like the shoreline setting and the amount of detail. DOF and focus are both very good, well done!
Paul

Hi Pekka,
A lovely capture of this beautiful bird. Excellent composition and sharp details. Thanks a lot for sharing.

Hello Pekka,

Excellent shot of this wagtail. Excellent technically. The colours and light are splendid. Great surrounding too.
Cheers,
Mariki

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1697 W: 242 N: 5609] (19923)
  • [2008-05-22 8:01]

Hi Pekka,
very good shot of this Yellow Wagtail!
Extremely sharp with a heap of detail.
Nice vibrent colours and great light.
Superb composition too.

Very well done!

Joe

wonderful capture of this beautifull bird.

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