Motacillidae

E188798

Motacillidae is a family of small to medium-sized passerine birds that includes wagtails, pipits, and longclaws, known for their slender bodies, ground-feeding habits, and often distinctive tail-wagging behavior.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Motacillidae canonical 2

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (45)

Predicate Object
instanceOf bird family
taxon
billType slender bill
bodyForm slender body
clade Passerida
class Aves
clutchSize small to moderate number of eggs
commonName wagtails, pipits, and longclaws
conservationStatus most species of least concern, some species threatened or declining
describedAs small to medium-sized passerine birds
diet insectivorous
distribution worldwide except Antarctica
ecologicalRole insect population control
prey for larger birds and mammals
flight strong but often undulating flight
foragingStratum ground
habitat farmland
grassland
open country
riverbanks
includes longclaw
pipit
wagtail
kingdom Animalia
legType relatively long legs
locomotion primarily terrestrial walkers and runners
migratoryBehavior many species are migratory
notableGenus Anthus
Macronyx
Motacilla
order Passeriformes
phylum Chordata
plumage often cryptic or earth-toned in pipits and longclaws
often more contrasting patterns in wagtails
reproduction build cup-shaped nests on or near the ground
sizeRange small to medium-sized birds
suborder Passeri
systematicsNote belongs to the passerine suborder Passeri (songbirds)
tailCharacteristic frequently wagged
often long tail
taxonRank family
typeGenus Motacilla
typicalBehavior ground-feeding
tail-wagging
vocalization generally high-pitched calls and songs

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Passerida includes Motacillidae
Aves hasSubgroup Motacillidae