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08 March 2021

Black-headed & Flava Wagtails – Jubail

Whilst birding the Jubail area in late February I came across a good number of migrants including my first large numbers of Yellow Wagtails. Mid-February is the start of the spring passage for this species and Black-headed Wagtail feldegg and melanogrisia are often the first subspecies to occur with bema, flava and thunbergi following. The Black-headed Wagtail is part of the Yellow Wagtail complex a group of birds that are common spring and autumn passage migrants, sometimes in hundreds. Thy pass from mid-February to May and again from early August to mid-November with many races identifiable in the field including feldegg, melanogrisia, lutea, flava, thunbergi and bema. By April, flocks of more than a hundred birds are regularly recorded in cultivated areas. 


Black-Headed Wagtail

Melanogrisia Yellow Wagtail

Melanogrisia Yellow Wagtail

Flava Yellow Wagtail