Western Yellow Wagtail

SCI Name:  Motacilla flava
Protonym:  Motacilla flava Syst.Nat.ed.10 p.185
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Motacillidae / Motacilla
Taxonomy Code:  eaywag1
Type Locality:  Europa = Southern Sweden.
Author:  Linnaeus
Publish Year:  1758
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

MOTACILLA
(Motacillidae; Ϯ White Wagtail M. alba) Late Med. L. (1555) motacilla  pied wagtail  < L. motacilla  wagtail  < Gr. μυττηξ muttēx  type of bird mentioned by Hesychius. The mistaken use of -cilla ­for “tail” in ornithology goes back to mediaeval writers who misread motacilla, Varro’s name for the wagtail ("quod semper movet caudam") and a diminutive from motare to move about or shake (i.e. a little shaker or wagger), as “shaketail”; "99. MOTACILLA.  Rostrum subulatum, rectum: Mandibulis subæqualibus.  Nares obovatæ.  Lingua lacero-emarginata." (Linnaeus 1758);"Motacilla Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, p. 184. Type, by tautonymy, "Motacilla" = M. alba Linnaeus." (Vaurie in Peters 1960, IX, 130). Linnaeus's Motacilla comprised thirty-four species (M. Luscinia, M. Calidris, M. modularis, M. Schœnobænus, M. campestris, M. Curruca, M. Hippolais, M. Salicaria, M. Sylvia, M. Philomela, M. Ficedula, M. alba, M. flava, M. Tiphia, M. Ruticilla, M. hispanica, M. Oenanthe, M. Rubetra, M. Atricapilla, M. Emeria, M. Phœnicurus, M. Erithacus, M. Titys, M. svecica, M. Sialis, M. Velia, M. Spiza, M. Rubecula, M. Troglodytes, M. Regulus, M. Trochilus, M. Acredula, M. Pendulinus, M. minuta). The White Wagtail has a wide range in the Palaearctic, although several subspecies are sometimes treated specifically (e.g. yarrellii, subpersonata, personata, lugens).
Var. Matacilla, Metacilla, Motacilea, Motacitta, Mottacilla, Montacilla, Notacilla, Notorcilla.
Synon. Aguimpia, Atolmodytes, Boarula, Budytes, Calobates, Pallenura, Pecula, Psomophilus, Seisura.

motacilla
L. motacilla  wagtail  < Gr. μυττηξ muttēx  type of bird mentioned by Hesychius (subsp. Myiothlypis fulvicauda, Parkesia).

flava
L. flavus  golden-yellow, gold-coloured, yellow.
● ex “Echenilleur Jaune” (= ♀) of Levaillant 1805, pl. 164 (Campephaga).
● "99. MOTACILLA.  ...  flava.  13. M. pectore abdomineque flavo, rectricibus duabus lateralibus dimidiato oblique albis. Fn. svec. 215.  Motacilla flava. Gesn. av. 618. Aldr. orn. l. 17. c. 24. Will. orn. 172. t. 68. Raj. av. 75. n. 2. Alb. av. 2. p. 54. t. 58. Frisch. av. . t. 23. f. 3.  Habitat in Europa." (Linnaeus 1758) (Motacilla).
● ex “Habia amarilla” (= ♀) of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 87 (Piranga).
● ex “Bruant du Brésil” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 321, fig. 1, and “Chúy” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 133 (syn. Sicalis flaveola pelzelni).
● ex “Guira-perea” of Marcgrave 1648, “Guiraperea” of Willughby 1676, and Ray 1713, “Tangara jaune du Brésil” of Brisson 1760, and “Yellow Tanager” of Latham 1783 (Tangara).

SUBSPECIES

Western Yellow Wagtail (flavissima)
SCI Name: Motacilla flava flavissima
flavissima / flavissimus
L. flavissimus  very yellow  < super. flavus  yellow, golden-yellow.

Western Yellow Wagtail (lutea)
SCI Name: Motacilla flava lutea
lutea
L. luteus  saffron-yellow  < lutum  saffron, yellow dye (cf. Late Med. L. lutea or luteus  bird mentioned by Turner 1544, which he associated with the Yellowhammer).
● ex “Mésange de Nanquin” of Sonnerat 1782 (Leiothrix).
● ex “Guêpier jaune de la côte de Coromandel” of Sonnerat 1782 (syn. Merops viridis).
● ex “Luteous Flycatcher” (= ☼) of Latham 1783 ("Habitat in insula Otaheitee ...vocatur Oomamao" (Forster in Lichtenstein 1844) (syn. Pomarea nigra).
● ex “Yellow-rumped Fly-catcher” of Edwards 1758 (unident.).

Western Yellow Wagtail (thunbergi)
SCI Name: Motacilla flava thunbergi
thunbergi
Prof. Dr Carl Peter Thunberg (1743-1828) Swedish botanist, disciple of Linnaeus, collector (subsp. Motacilla flava).

Western Yellow Wagtail (flava)
SCI Name: Motacilla flava flava
flava
L. flavus  golden-yellow, gold-coloured, yellow.
● ex “Echenilleur Jaune” (= ♀) of Levaillant 1805, pl. 164 (Campephaga).
● "99. MOTACILLA.  ...  flava.  13. M. pectore abdomineque flavo, rectricibus duabus lateralibus dimidiato oblique albis. Fn. svec. 215.  Motacilla flava. Gesn. av. 618. Aldr. orn. l. 17. c. 24. Will. orn. 172. t. 68. Raj. av. 75. n. 2. Alb. av. 2. p. 54. t. 58. Frisch. av. . t. 23. f. 3.  Habitat in Europa." (Linnaeus 1758) (Motacilla).
● ex “Habia amarilla” (= ♀) of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 87 (Piranga).
● ex “Bruant du Brésil” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 321, fig. 1, and “Chúy” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 133 (syn. Sicalis flaveola pelzelni).
● ex “Guira-perea” of Marcgrave 1648, “Guiraperea” of Willughby 1676, and Ray 1713, “Tangara jaune du Brésil” of Brisson 1760, and “Yellow Tanager” of Latham 1783 (Tangara).

Western Yellow Wagtail (beema)
SCI Name: Motacilla flava beema
beema
Beema River (= Bhima River, Maharashtra), India.

Western Yellow Wagtail (iberiae)
SCI Name: Motacilla flava iberiae
iberiae
L. Iberiae  Spanish, Iberian  < Iberia  Spain.

Western Yellow Wagtail (cinereocapilla)
SCI Name: Motacilla flava cinereocapilla
cinereocapilla / cinereocapillum
L. cinereus  ash-coloured  < cinis, cineris  ashes; -capillus  -headed  < capillus  hair of the head.

Western Yellow Wagtail (pygmaea)
SCI Name: Motacilla flava pygmaea
pygmaea / pygmaeum / pygmaeus / pygmea / pygmeum / pygmeus
L. pygmaeus  pygmy  < Gr. πυγμαιος pugmaios  pygmy, of the size of a fist  < πυγμη pugmē   fist.
● ex “Flat-billed Auk” of Latham 1785, and “Pigmy Auk” of Pennant 1785 (Aethia).
● ex “Pygmy Parrakeet” of Latham 1781 (syn. Charmosyna palmarum).
● “73. PLATALEA.  ...  pygmea.  3. P. corpore supra fusco, subtus albo. Mus. Ad. Fr. 2. p. . .  Habitat Surinami.  Magnitudo Passeris.” (Linnaeus 1758) (Calidris).
● ex "Pygmy Curlew" of Pennant 1773, and Latham 1785 (syn. Calidris ferruginea).
● ex “Petit Gobe-mouche tacheté de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 831, fig. 2, “Gobe-moucheron” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Dwarf Fly-catcher” of Latham 1783 (syn. Myrmotherula brachyura).

Western Yellow Wagtail (feldegg)
SCI Name: Motacilla flava feldegg
felddeggii / feldegg / feldeggi / feldeggii
Col. Christoph Freiherr Fellner von Feldegg (1789-1845) Austrian Army, naturalist, collector in the Balkans (syn. Circus macrourus, subsp. Falco biarmicus, syn. Lanius minor, subsp. Motacilla flava).

Western Yellow Wagtail (leucocephala)
SCI Name: Motacilla flava leucocephala
leucocephala / leucocephalos / leucocephalus
Gr. λευκοκεφαλος leukokephalos  white-headed  < λευκος leukos  white;
-κεφαλος -kephalos  -headed  < κεφαλη kephalē  head.
● "44. PSITTACUS.  ...  leucocephalus.  26. P. brachyurus viridis, remigibus cæruleis, fronte alba.  Psittacus leucocephalus. Aldr. ornith. l. 11. c. 8. Raj. av. 31.  Psittacus viridis, fronte alba, collo rubro. Frisch. av. 4. t. 46.  Psittacus viridis, capite albo. Edw. av. 166. t. 166.  Habitat in America.  Corpus magnitudine Cuculi, viride pennis margine nigris. Caput supra & ad latera cæruleum; fronte oculorumque regione alba. Gula tota rubra. Remiges nigræ latere exteriore denudato cæruleæ. Rectrices æquales, virides, basi rubræ, apice flavescentes; at 1. 1. latere exteriore cæruleo; 6. 6. unicolores. Abdomen postice ferrugineum." (Linnaeus 1758) (Amazona).
● ex “White-headed Shrike” of Latham 1781 (syn. Artamella viridis).
● ex "White-headed Curlew" of Latham 1785 (?syn. Bostrychia hagedash).
● ex “Gavilán de Estero cabeza blanca” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 13 (subsp. Busarellus nigricollis).
● ex “Héron de la côte de Coromandel” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 906, “Héron violet” of de Buffon 1770-1786, and “Violet Heron” of Latham 1785 (syn. Ciconia episcopus).
● ex “Rauhfuss Geyer” and “Gelbbrauner Geyer” of Frisch 1733, “Falco” of Brisson 1760, and “White-headed Falcon” of Latham 1781 (syn. Falco peregrinus).
● ex “White-headed Frigate” of Latham 1785 (syn. Fregata aquila).
● ex “Bald Eagle” of Catesby 1731, and “Aigle à tête blanche” of Brisson 1760 (Haliaeetus).
● ex “Merle Dominiquain de la Chine” of Sonnerat 1782, and “White-headed Thrush” of Latham 1783 (Hypsipetes).
● ex “Gobe-mouche à ventre jaune de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 569, fig. 2 (syn. Myiozetetes cayanensis).
● ex “White Vulture” and “Cinereous Vulture” of Willughhby 1676, “Vultur albus” of Ray 1713, “Vultur leucocephalus” of Brisson 1760, “Vautour de Norwège” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 429, and “Petit Vautour” of de Buffon 1770-1783 (syn. Neophron percnopterus).
● ex “Bald pate” of Ray 1713, “Columba capite albo” of Sloane 1725, and “White-crown’d Pigeon” of Catesby 1731 (Patagioenas).
● ex “Martin-Pêcheur de Java” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 757, “Martin-pêcheur à tête et cou couleur de paille” of de Buffon 1770-1786, and “White-headed Kingsfisher” of Latham 1782 (syn. Pelargopsis capensis javana).
● ex “White-headed Finch” of Latham 1787 (syn. Stagonopleura guttata).
● ex “Lindo azul cabeza blanca” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 93 (syn. Stephanophorus diadematus).
● ex “Quatoztli” of Hernandez 1651, and Seba 1734-1745, and “Tangara brasiliensis leucocephala” of Brisson 1760 (unident.).