Birds of Britain 



THE BLUE-HEADED WAGTAIL 



Motacilla flava, Linnaeus 



This species resembles the Yellow Wagtail very closely 

 in all respects, and is the common Continental " Yellow 

 Wagtail," many different races of which are found. It occurs 

 yearly in the south-east of England on migration and some- 

 times stays to breed. 



The adults may be distinguished from our Yellow 

 Wagtail by having the upper part of the head and neck, 

 including the cheeks, bluish grey and the stripe over the eye 

 white. Young birds are practically indistinguishable from 

 those of our common species, but the eye stripe is constantly 

 whiter. Length 6-3 in. ; wing 3-2 in. 



A closely allied race is M. heema, which breeds in 

 Western Siberia and occurs on migration in India. It is 

 very closely allied to M. flava, but is paler on the head 

 and has the cheeks and chin white. This form has been 

 taken in England on one occasion, viz. in Sussex, in April 

 1898. Faded and worn specimens of M. flava appear at 

 first sight to belong to this form, so that excessive caution 

 is necessary before finally identifying British specimens as 

 belonging to this race. 



The Scandinavian form, known as M. horealis, with a 

 dark grey crown and no eye stripe, has been obtained on 

 several occasions, and even remained to breed in Sussex in 

 1906. 



M. cinereocephala, which has not yet been obtained in 



90 



