Eastern Yellow Wagtail Motacilla tschutschensis and Western Yellow Wagtail M. flava in Sri Lanka with comments on their status in South Asia

Abstract

Summary. Yellow wagtails Motacilla sp. observed in Sri Lanka in November 2019 had the ‘rasping’ voice characteristic of Eastern Yellow Wagtail M. tschutschensis. DNA confirmed two individuals as M. t. tschutschensis / plexa, whilst plumage characters suggested one was M. t. plexa and the other M. t. tschutschensis, the first records of the species in Sri Lanka. Field observations in Colombo, during November 2019–January 2020 yielded 106 yellow wagtail records. Vocalisations of 57 were recorded; all had ‘rasping’ calls, and none had vocal or plumage features diagnostic of Western Yellow Wagtail M. flava. A review of material in Colombo and Tring museums yielded no specimens of Eastern Yellow Wagtail from Sri Lanka, and the species’ status in South Asia is unclear. Seventy-one photographic records of yellow wagtails in Sri Lanka from varied sources revealed seven records of M. f. lutea based on plumage characters. The rest could not be assigned to either Eastern Yellow or Western Yellow Wagtails. Eastern Yellow Wagtail is probably a common winter visitor to Sri Lanka and presumably also numerous on passage further north in South Asia. Birds in this region not identified to species using at least voice should be recorded as the species pair. Further research is required to clarify any previous specimen records of Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Sri Lanka, the status of the subspecies, the migratory routes involved, and the status of both species across South Asia.