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{{short description|Family of birds}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| name = Motacillidae
| image = White-browed Wagtail I MG 9376.jpg
| image_caption = [[White-browed wagtail]] (''Motacilla maderaspatensis'')
| taxon = Motacillidae
| authority = [[Thomas Horsfield|Horsfield]], 1821
| subdivision_ranks = Genera
| subdivision =
*''[[Pipit|Anthus]]''
*''[[Golden pipit|Tmetothylacus]]''
*''[[Wagtail|Motacilla]]''
*''[[Forest wagtail|Dendronanthus]]''
*''[[Longclaw|Macronyx]]''
}}

The [[wagtail]]s, [[longclaw]]s, and [[pipit]]s are a [[family (biology)|family]], '''Motacillidae''', of small [[passerine]] [[bird]]s with medium to long tails. Around 70 species occur in five [[genus|genera]]. The longclaws are entirely restricted to the [[Afrotropics]], and the wagtails are predominantly found in Europe, Africa, and Asia, with two species [[bird migration|migrating and breeding]] in [[Alaska]]. The pipits have the most [[cosmopolitan distribution]], being found mostly in the Old World, but occurring also in the Americas and oceanic islands such as [[New Zealand]] and the [[Falklands]]. Two African species, the [[yellow-breasted pipit]] and [[Sharpe's longclaw]], are sometimes placed in a separate seventh genus, ''[[Hemimacronyx]]'', which is closely related to the longclaws.<ref name="Voelker">{{cite journal|last=Voelker|first=Gary|author2=Scott V. Edwards|year=1998|title=Can weighting improve bushy trees? Models of cytochrome b evolution and the molecular systematics of pipits and wagtails (Aves: Motacillidae) | journal=Systematic Biology | pmid=12066304 | volume=47 | issue=4 | pages=589–603 | doi = 10.1080/106351598260608 | doi-access=free }}</ref>

Most motacillids are ground-feeding insectivores<ref name=EoB/> of slightly open country. They occupy almost all available habitats, from the shore to high mountains. Wagtails prefer wetter habitats than the pipits. A few species use forests, including the [[forest wagtail]], and other species use forested mountain streams, such as the [[grey wagtail]] or the [[mountain wagtail]].

Motacillids take a wide range of invertebrate prey: insects are the most commonly taken, but also including spiders, worms, and small aquatic molluscs and [[arthropods]]. All species seem to be fairly catholic in their diets, and the most commonly taken prey for any particular species or population usually reflects local availability.

With the exception of the forest wagtail, they nest on the ground,<ref name=EoB/> laying up to six speckled eggs.

==Description==
Wagtails, pipits, and longclaws are slender, small to medium-sized passerines, ranging from {{cvt|14|to|17|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length, with short necks and long tails.<ref name=EoB>{{cite book |editor=Forshaw, Joseph|author= Clancey, P.A.|year=1991|title=Encyclopaedia of Animals: Birds|publisher= Merehurst Press|location=London|pages= 172–173|isbn= 1-85391-186-0}}</ref> They have long, pale legs with long toes and claws, particularly the hind toe, which can be up to 4 cm in length in some longclaws. No [[sexual dimorphism]] in size is seen. Overall, the robust longclaws are larger than the pipits and wagtails. [[Longclaw]]s can weigh as much as 64 g, as in [[Fülleborn's longclaw]], whereas the weight range for pipits and wagtails is 15–31 g, with the smallest species being perhaps the [[yellowish pipit]].<ref>{{cite book |title=CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses |edition=2nd |editor-first=John B. Jr. |editor-last=Dunning |publisher=CRC Press |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-4200-6444-5}}</ref> The [[plumage]] of most pipits is dull brown and reminiscent of the [[lark]]s, although some species have brighter plumages, particularly the [[golden pipit]] of north-east Africa. The adult male longclaws have brightly coloured undersides. The wagtails often have striking plumage, including grey, black, white, and yellow.

==Phylogeny==
A [[molecular phylogenetic]] study published in 2019 sampled 56 of the 68 recognised species in the family Motacillidae and found that the species formed six major [[clades]]. The pipit genus ''[[Anthus]]'' was [[paraphyletic]] with respect to the longclaw genus ''[[Macronyx]]''. The [[striped pipit]] (''Anthus lineiventris'') and the [[African rock pipit]] (''Anthus crenatus'') were nested with the longclaws in ''Macronyx''.<ref name=Pietersen>{{ cite journal | last1=Pietersen | first1=D.W. | last2=McKechnie | first2=A.E. | last3=Jansen | first3=R. | last4=Little | first4=I.T. | last5=Bastos | first5=A.D.S. | year=2019 | title=Multi-locus phylogeny of African pipits and longclaws (Aves: Motacillidae) highlights taxonomic inconsistencies | journal=Ibis | volume=161 | issue=4 | pages=781–792 | doi=10.1111/ibi.12683 }}</ref> The [[type species]] of ''Anthus'', the [[meadow pipit]], was nested with the other Palearctic species in Clade 2.<ref>{{ cite book | editor1-last=Mayr | editor1-first=Ernst | editor1-link=Ernst Mayr | editor2-last=Greenway | editor2-first=James C. Jr | year=1960 | title=Check-List of Birds of the World | volume=9 | publisher=Museum of Comparative Zoology | place=Cambridge, Massachusetts | page=144 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14480819 }}</ref><ref name=Pietersen/>
{{Cladex| style=font-size:100%;line-height:100%
|label1=Motacillidae
|1={{clade
|1={{clade
|1=''[[Motacilla]]'' – typical wagtails
|2={{clade
|1=Clade 4 - ''[[Anthus]]'' – large-bodied African species
|2={{clade
|1={{clade
|1=''[[Macronyx]]'' – longclaws – but includes [[golden pipit]] (''Tmetothylacus tenellus'') and [[yellow-breasted pipit]] (''Anthus chloris'')
|2=Clade 3 – ''Anthus'' – [[striped pipit]] (''Anthus lineiventris'') and [[African rock pipit]] (''Anthus crenatus'')
}}
|2={{clade
|1=Clade 2 – ''Anthus'' – Palearctic species
|2=Clade 1 – ''Anthus'' – New World and small-bodied African species
}}

}}
}}
}}
}}
}}

== Species and genera==
[[File:Black-headed wagtail (M. f. feldegg).jpg|thumb|[[Western yellow wagtail|Black-headed wagtail]], ''Motacilla flava feldegg'']]
[[File:Olive-backed Pipit (Anthus hodgsoni) in Kolkata W IMG 4336.jpg|thumb|[[Olive-backed pipit]], ''Anthus hodgsoni'']]
[[File:Forest wagtail.jpg|thumb|[[Forest wagtail]], ''Dendronanthus indicus'']]
[[File:Yellow-throated Longclaw (Macronyx croceus).jpg|thumb|[[Yellow-throated longclaw]], ''Macronyx croceus'']]
[[File:Paddyfield Pipit in Bhopal.jpg|thumb|[[Paddyfield pipit]], ''Anthus rufulus'']]

'''Family: Motacillidae'''
* '''Genus ''Dendronanthus'''''
** [[Forest wagtail]], '' Dendronanthus indicus''
* '''Genus ''[[Motacilla]]''''': typical wagtails
**[[Western yellow wagtail]], ''Motacilla flava'' – possibly [[paraphyletic]]
**[[Eastern yellow wagtail]], ''Motacilla tschutschensis'' – possibly paraphyletic
**[[Citrine wagtail]], ''Motacilla citreola'' – possibly [[paraphyletic]]
**[[Cape wagtail]], ''Motacilla capensis''
**[[Madagascar wagtail]], ''Motacilla flaviventris''
**[[Grey wagtail]], ''Motacilla cinerea''
**[[Mountain wagtail]], ''Motacilla clara''
**[[White wagtail]], ''Motacilla alba'' – possibly paraphyletic
***[[Pied wagtail]], ''Motacilla alba yarrellii''
***[[Black-backed wagtail]], ''Motacilla alba lugens''
**[[African pied wagtail]], ''Motacilla aguimp''
**[[Mekong wagtail]], ''Motacilla samveasnae''
**[[Japanese wagtail]], ''Motacilla grandis''
**[[White-browed wagtail]], ''Motacilla madaraspatensis''
** [[São Tomé shorttail]] ''Motacilla bocagii''
* '''Genus ''Tmetothylacus'''''
** [[Golden pipit]], ''Tmetothylacus tenellus''
* '''Genus '' [[Macronyx]]''''': longclaws
** [[Cape longclaw]], ''Macronyx capensis''
** [[Yellow-throated longclaw]], ''Macronyx croceus''
** [[Fülleborn's longclaw]], ''Macronyx fuellebornii ''
** [[Sharpe's longclaw]], ''Macronyx sharpei'' - sometimes placed in genus ''[[Hemimacronyx]]''
** [[Abyssinian longclaw]], ''Macronyx flavicollis''
** [[Pangani longclaw]], ''Macronyx aurantiigula''
** [[Rosy-throated longclaw]], ''Macronyx ameliae''
** [[Grimwood's longclaw]], ''Macronyx grimwoodi''
* '''Genus ''[[Anthus]]''''': typical pipits
** [[Richard's pipit]] ''Anthus richardi''
**[[Paddyfield pipit]] ''Anthus rufulus''
**[[Australian pipit]] ''Anthus australis''
**[[New Zealand pipit]] ''Anthus novaeseelandiae''
**[[African pipit]] ''Anthus cinnamomeus''
**[[Mountain pipit]] ''Anthus hoeschi''
**[[Blyth's pipit]] ''Anthus godlewskii''
**[[Tawny pipit]] ''Anthus campestris''
**[[Long-billed pipit]] ''Anthus similis''
**[[Nicholson's pipit]] ''Anthus nicholsoni''
**[[Wood pipit]] ''Anthus nyassae''
**[[Buffy pipit]] ''Anthus vaalensis''
**[[Plain-backed pipit]] ''Anthus leucophrys''
**[[Long-legged pipit]], ''Anthus pallidiventris''
**[[Meadow pipit]] ''Anthus pratensis''
**[[Tree pipit]] ''Anthus trivialis''
**[[Olive-backed pipit]] ''Anthus hodgsoni''
**[[Pechora pipit]] ''Anthus gustavi''
**[[Rosy pipit]] ''Anthus roseatus''
**[[Red-throated pipit]] ''Anthus cervinus''
**[[Buff-bellied pipit]] ''Anthus rubescens''
**[[Water pipit]] ''Anthus spinoletta''
**[[European rock pipit]] ''Anthus petrosus''
**[[Nilgiri pipit]] ''Anthus nilghiriensis''
**[[Upland pipit]] ''Anthus sylvanus''
**[[Berthelot's pipit]] ''Anthus berthelotii''
**[[Striped pipit]] ''Anthus lineiventris''
**[[African rock pipit]] ''Anthus crenatus''
**[[Short-tailed pipit]] ''Anthus brachyurus''
**[[Bushveld pipit]] ''Anthus caffer''
**[[Sokoke pipit]] ''Anthus sokokensis''
**[[Malindi pipit]] ''Anthus melindae''
**[[Yellow-breasted pipit]] ''Anthus chloris'' - sometimes placed in genus ''Hemimacronyx''
**[[Alpine pipit]] ''Anthus gutturalis''
**[[Sprague's pipit]] ''Anthus spragueii''
**[[Yellowish pipit]] ''Anthus chii''
**[[Short-billed pipit]] ''Anthus furcatus''
**[[Pampas pipit]] ''Anthus chacoensis''
**[[Correndera pipit]] ''Anthus correndera''
**[[South Georgia pipit]] ''Anthus antarcticus''
**[[Ochre-breasted pipit]] ''Anthus nattereri''
**[[Hellmayr's pipit]] ''Anthus hellmayri''
**[[Paramo pipit]] ''Anthus bogotensis''
** [[Madanga]] ''Anthus ruficollis''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Motacillidae}}
*[http://ibc.lynxeds.com/family/pipits-wagtails-motacillidae Motacillidae videos] on the Internet Bird Collection

{{Taxonbar|from=Q205943}}

[[Category:Motacillidae| ]]
[[Category:Bird families]]

Motacillidae - Revision history

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article