Breeding male (Gray-backed) © Vincent Wang eBird S44895591 Macaulay Library ML 191338911
Breeding male (Black-backed) © Vyom Vyas
Immature © Itziar Gutiérrez Uranga 🪶
Immature © Howard Heaton
Immature © Patrick MONNEY
+ 4
Breeding male (Gray-backed) © Daniel Murphy
Breeding male (Black-backed) © Andrew Spencer
Female/nonbreeding male © Zhi-Yuan Cai

Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola

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Identification

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Widespread and fairly common over much of Asia; rare to western Europe. Breeding males spectacular and unmistakable: bright yellow head and body contrasts with black collar and gray (most of range) or black (central and southern Asia) back. Females and non breeding males less conspicuous, dull yellow with dark cheek patch isolated in yellow face and a gray crown and back. Juveniles have same cheek pattern but are dingy grayish overall without yellow tones (or just faint yellow face). White wingbars conspicuous in all plumages; also note pale lores. More tied to water than Eastern Yellow, Western Yellow, or White Wagtail; usually seen at marshes and lake edges. Contact call "tsriip," harsher than Eastern and Western Yellow Wagtail.

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