Eastern Yellow Wagtail Similar Species Comparison

Main SpeciesEastern Yellow Wagtail

Breeding male (Eastern)

A small, slender songbird with a long tail. Breeding males vary across the range, but all have bright yellow underparts, greenish upperparts, a yellow throat, and a black tail with white outer tail feathers. Breeding “Eastern” male has a gray crown, white line above the eye, and grayish to blackish mask.

Breeding male (Eastern)

The mask behind the eye of breeding “Eastern” males varies from gray to blackish.

Nonbreeding/immature

A small, slender, terrestrial songbird. Nonbreeding/immature has paler yellow underparts than breeding male. Frequently wags long tail.

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Breeding male (Green-headed)

Breeding “Green-headed” male has a greenish crown, yellow stripe above the eye, and black mask through the eye.

Breeding male (Manchurian)

Breeding “Manchurian” male has a slaty gray crown and black mask around the eye.

Nonbreeding/immature

Typically forages on the ground, often in wet areas, walking and running in pursuit of insects.

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Breeding male (Manchurian)

Forages mostly on the ground, feeding on insects.

Nonbreeding/immature

Some first-winter birds are gray above and white below, with a conspicuous white line above the eye.

Nonbreeding/immature

Nonbreeding/immature birds often have a brownish crown and mask, a white or yellow-and-white throat, and a brownish wash across the breast.

Nonbreeding/immature

Nonbreeding/immature birds have a similar pattern to breeding adults, but typically have a less distinct head pattern and are less colorful overall.

Nonbreeding/immature

A small, slender songbird with extensive geographic and seasonal plumage variation.

Nonbreeding/immature (Green-headed)

Identification to subspecies group can be challenging (or impossible) during the nonbreeding season, but this individual’s greenish crown, yellow stripe above the eye, blackish mask, and yellow throat identify it as a “Green-headed” Eastern Yellow Wagtail.

Breeding male (Eastern)

Typically found on the ground in open habitats, often near water.

Similar SpeciesWestern Yellow Wagtail

Western Yellow Wagtail is similar to Eastern Yellow Wagtail

Identifying Western Yellow Wagtail and Eastern Yellow Wagtail where they overlap on the nonbreeding grounds can be very challenging. The white stripe below the eye of this individual helps to identify it as a Western Yellow Wagtail (“beema" group), but some nonbreeding/immature wagtails are best left unidentified to species.

Similar SpeciesCitrine Wagtail

Citrine Wagtail is similar to Eastern Yellow Wagtail

Nonbreeding/immature Citrine Wagtail can be very similar to gray-and-white immature Eastern Yellow Wagtail. Note Citrine Wagtail’s prominent light eyeline that wraps around the back of the eye mask, the pale patch within the mask, and more prominent wingbars.

Similar SpeciesGray Wagtail

Gray Wagtail is similar to Eastern Yellow Wagtail

Gray Wagtail is distinguished from Eastern Yellow Wagtail in all plumages by its grayish (not greenish) upperparts, longer tail, pale legs, and less distinct wingbars.

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