Things are a little bit confusing when it comes to the yellow wagtail bird species. According to the book that I learned about this bird, it mentioned yellow wagtail (ខ្ទប់ដីពោះលឿង) resides in Cambodia. However, there is no information on the internet that shows so. The species that live in Southeast Asia that I found is eastern yellow wagtails instead. There is very little information about the yellow wagtail, but I will focus on this species anyway.
Appearance
Growing up to the size of 17 centimeters, a yellow wagtail is quite a small bird. It has olive-green upperparts and yellow underparts with a yellow face and a black-and-white tail. That tail is short, and it wags it up and down; hence the name. The wings of these birds are black with two white bars on top. On top of the bird’s eyes is a bright yellow stripe, and it has a green crown. Not different from many bird species, the males are brighter than females when it comes to coloration.
Feeding & Habitats
These birds are foragers and ground feeders so they spend most of their time on the ground. They like to hang out near cattle pastures where they chase and catch insects by the feet of cattle. So it is common to see them around horses and other livestock. Their common food includes beetles and flies that fly around as the cattle move their feet.
Yellow wagtails inhabit arable fields, areas with freshwater, farmlands, grasslands, riversides, streamsides, and wetlands. This little bird likes damp marshes, farmlands, and meadows where it spends its time running about on the ground. They also build their nests on the ground but they roost in trees.
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