Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • proper noun A taxonomic genus within the family Motacillidae — the wagtails.

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word Motacilla.

Examples

  • Adult male pied wheatear, Oenanthe pleschanka (protonym, Motacilla pleschanka), also known as the common pied wheatear, Pleschanka's wheatear, or as Pleschanka's (pied) chat, photographed at Debre Libanos, Ethiopia (Africa).

    Mystery bird: Pied wheatear, Oenanthe pleschanka 2011

  • Adult male pied wheatear, Oenanthe pleschanka (protonym, Motacilla pleschanka), also known as the common pied wheatear, Pleschanka's wheatear, or as Pleschanka's (pied) chat, photographed at Debre Libanos, Ethiopia (Africa).

    Mystery bird: Pied wheatear, Oenanthe pleschanka 2011

  • Birds with restricted range include the spotted redshank (Tringa erythropus), Jananese Robin (Erithacus akahige), Bull-headed Strike (Lanius bucephalus), and the Forest Wagtail (Motacilla lutea).

    South Sakhalin-Kurile mixed forests 2008

  • Bird species such as Tadorna ferrugine and Anas platyrhynchos occur in wetlands, Dendrocopos major in the forests while Parus major, Motacilla cinerea, Alaudia arvensis, Anthus hodgsoni, Lanius cristatus, Milvus migrans, and Corvus corax occur everywhere else in this area.

    Altai montane forest and forest steppe 2008

  • With regard to birds, the Motacilla or water-wagtails are seen at Churra and at Pundoa, are generally of yellow colour in place of white.

    Journals of Travels in Assam, Burma, Bhootan, Afghanistan and the Neighbouring Countries William Griffith

  • _Plectrophanes_, two or three species of _Sylvia_, one _Phylloscopus_, and the _Motacilla_ must be added.

    Russia As Seen and Described by Famous Writers Various

  • This is the beautiful pied wagtail (_Motacilla maderaspatensis_), of which the charming song must be familiar to all residents of Madras.

    Birds of the Indian Hills Douglas Dewar 1916

  • The three species that visit India in the largest numbers are the white (_Motacilla alba_), the masked (_M. personata_) and the grey wagtail (_M. melanope_).

    A Bird Calendar for Northern India Douglas Dewar 1916

  • (_Copsychus saularis_) and the pied wagtail (_Motacilla maderaspatensis_).

    A Bird Calendar for Northern India Douglas Dewar 1916

  • The wagtail most likely to be seen is the grey wagtail (_Motacilla melanope_).

    Birds of the Indian Hills Douglas Dewar 1916

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.