Citrine Wagtail

Motacilla citreola Pallas, 1776

Motacillidae — Wagtails, Pipits

Citrine Wagtail, Motacilla citreola, is a passerine of the wagtail family that breeds across the Palearctic and spends the nonbreeding season in the Oriental Region. It was described by Pallas in 1776. In the breeding season it uses wet meadows and tundra, and in winter it moves to South Asia, often to upland areas. It is also recorded as a rare vagrant in western Europe. The bird is slender and has the long tail typical of Motacilla. It nests on the ground in open country near water, including bogs, and lays 4–5 speckled eggs.

Order
Passeriformes
Family
Motacillidae — Wagtails, Pipits
Breeding range
Palearctic: widespread
Nonbreeding range
Oriental Region
Citrine Wagtail
© Mike Prince from Bangalore, India · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Tours where you can spot this bird

11 tours in Poland 4, Greece 3, Finland 2, India 1, Lithuania 1

Late Spring Birding Tour 2027
Late Spring Birding Tour 2027
Poland / Warsaw Group tour 5 days

A compact five-day Białowieża and Biebrza tour for breeding woodpeckers, flycatchers, warblers, Great Snipe and wildlife photography....

From EUR 1,390 Next: Jun 4, 2027
Spring Birding Tour 2027
Spring Birding Tour 2027
Poland / Warsaw Group tour 7 days

Seven days across Białowieża Forest and Biebrza Marshes for woodpeckers, owls, Great Snipe, marsh terns, warblers and crakes....

From EUR 1,810 Next: May 7, 2027
Northern India Birding Tour: Tigers, Birds and the Himalayas
Northern India Birding Tour: Tigers, Birds and the Himalayas
India / New Delhi Group tour 17 days

A 17-day northern India expedition combining wetland and Himalayan birding with Ranthambhore and Corbett wildlife safaris, the Chambal River...

From USD 9,565 Next: Jan 21, 2027
6-Day Best of Bialowieza and Biebrza Birding Tour
6-Day Best of Bialowieza and Biebrza Birding Tour
Poland / Warsaw 6 days

A six-day eastern Poland birding circuit linking Bialowieza’s mature forest with Biebrza’s open marshes for woodland and wetland special...

3-Day Biebrza National Park Marsh Birding Tour
3-Day Biebrza National Park Marsh Birding Tour
Poland / Biebrza 3 days

A three-day guided exploration of the Biebrza Marshes, combining wet meadows, river valley habitats and spring bird activity in northeastern...

Twitching Lithuania 9-Day Birding Tour
Twitching Lithuania 9-Day Birding Tour
Lithuania / Vente Cape Group tour 9 days

A nine-day Lithuania birding circuit targeting around 200 species across Nemunas Delta, the Curonian Spit and the country’s northern and e...

From EUR 1,120
Horned Grebe Helsinki Wetlands Birding Tour
Horned Grebe Helsinki Wetlands Birding Tour
Finland / Helsinki Private tour 6h

A six-hour private wetland outing from May to mid-July, linking two Helsinki-area birding sites on foot and by tram and metro....

From EUR 185
Classic Helsinki Birdwatching Tour
Classic Helsinki Birdwatching Tour
Finland / Helsinki Private tour 3h

A flexible three-hour private walk at one accessible Helsinki reserve, combining easy local birding, scope views and a route matched to the ...

From EUR 90
Tailor-Made Lesvos Birding Week
Tailor-Made Lesvos Birding Week
Greece / Lesvos Private tour 7 days

A private seven-day Lesvos birding framework that can connect Kalloni Gulf with central, western and southern habitats according to the seas...

Lesvos Full-Day Private Birdwatching Tour
Lesvos Full-Day Private Birdwatching Tour
Greece / Lesvos Private tour 1 day

A ten-hour private birding day linking several Lesvos habitats, with the route selected around migration, resident specialities, weather and...

From EUR 220
Lesvos Half-Day Private Birdwatching Tour
Lesvos Half-Day Private Birdwatching Tour
Greece / Lesvos Private tour 1 day

A private six-hour outing from the Skala Kallonis area, shaped around the season, current conditions and the birds or photographs you most w...

From EUR 160