Yellow Wagtail (Cumbria, UK) (1 Viewer)

Hello

The attached photos were taken by the River Esk near Longtown two days ago. Is it a "Channel Wagtail" ( Motacilla flava flava x flavissima), a female Blue-headed Wagtail, or something else?

Comments appreciated

Thanks

Paul

I think it is an hybrid a some sort, not pure flava. Let's wait for more comments.

Has Grey Wagtail x Yellow Wagtail occurred? Maybe a possibility?

Thanks for the replies so far.

The reason I posted this question here is that I originally submitted photo 1 to Birdguides as a Yellow Wagtail (flavissima), without giving the matter much thought - although it did seem to be comparable with some of the other flavissima photos in their database. Birdguides immediately re-assigned it to the Channel Wagtail (flava x flavissima) category, which was fine with me. However, it was then suggested by another member that it might be a female Blue-headed Wagtail (flava)...

However, VS's comment would appear to rule this out (also, I've since looked at quite a few pure flava photos and I didn't see any with a greenish/yellowish colouring to the crown of the head).

If there are no other comments I'll just leave things as they stand.

It was the obvious grey mixed into the mantle and back feathering that made me think possible Grey Wag influence rather than Blue-headed. Hopefully someone else will comment on that

Thanks for expanding on your comment J-P.

All I can add on this issue is that photo 1 was taken more or less directly side on, and so if there is a Grey Wag influence, it doesn't seem to have affected its tail length!

gillean55 said:

Thanks for expanding on your comment J-P.

All I can add on this issue is that photo 1 was taken more or less directly side on, and so if there is a Grey Wag influence, it doesn't seem to have affected its tail length!

Click to expand...

True, I did look at tail length too and doesn't seem particularly long, nor does it seem to show any more obvious tertial tips than a Yellow Wag ssp. It could well just be a Channel, but I presume Grey Wag x Yellow Wag may be a possibility with the colouring in the mantle and back