About Motacilla citreola Pallas, 1776
This species, Motacilla citreola Pallas, 1776, is a slender bird that measures 15.5–17 cm in length. It has the long, constantly wagging tail that is characteristic of the genus Motacilla. The adult male in breeding plumage has a basically grey or black upper body, with white on the remiges, and bright yellow on the entire head (except for the black nape) and underparts. In winter plumage, its yellow underparts may be mixed with white, and the head is brownish with a yellowish supercilium. Females generally look like washed-out versions of males in winter plumage. This species breeds in wet meadows and tundra in the central Palearctic. It migrates to South Asia for winter, and often occurs in highland areas there. Its range is expanding westwards, and it is a rare but increasing vagrant to western Europe. Vagrants of this species appear to extend their migration rather than stray off their route; for example, Bhutan lies along one of the species' migration flyways, but the citrine wagtail has only been recorded as an extremely rare passer-by there, and does not stay even for a few days or weeks. It is an insectivorous bird that inhabits open country near water, such as wet meadows and bogs. It nests on the ground, and lays 4–5 speckled eggs.
