Scientific name:
Motacillidae

Natural spread:
global occurrences

in the coloring of the plumage distinguishes the Pieper (type Anthus u) for itself. ä.) considerably from the stilts and the tree-stilt. While drawn the stilts (type Motacilla) sincerely green, gray, black, white or yellow and the sex-differences are usually distinctive, the sexes of the lark-nicely colored Pieper are to be externally hardly distinguished. Nevertheless, these types are summarized to the family of the stilts. The body is long-stretched, the beak tender and exactly; the long run and the spur-nicely extended rear-toe point out that it is about ground-inhabitants.

Type-group stilts (Motacillini)) The stilts are world-wide, however main focus-wise in the old world spreads; the types of the northern hemisphere are migratory birds predominantly. its name is based on a typical behavior: the long tail is raised highly, d. h. gestelzt, carried. If they trip fast over the ground, the tail see-saws unmistakably up and down ("Wippstert"). From this, only the tree-stilt does an exception, that is put into an independent type (Dendroanthus) anyway. it is also a forest-inhabitant while the representatives of the type Motacilla live in meadows, prairies and alpine mats as far as to a height of 4500 m. It is bred at the ground, in natural or artificial cavities or on trees. The bowl-shaped one, carelessly from stalks, moss, foliage and other plant-fibers built nest contains 2-6 brown or gray eggs. The boys of the stilts have a dense Dunenkleid already when slipping on the upper side.

Type Motacilla The wagtail (Motacilla alba) and this yellow wagtail or sheep-stilt (M). flava, is Asia Minor in whole Europe, North-Africa, and spreads all over almost Asia as far as to the Pacific. In contrast to the name, the wagtail is also in dry areas at home while the sheep-stilt is narrowly tied at the water. The mountain-stilt (M). cinerea, is quite rare in the northern Europe; its spread-area stretches over south, and Central Europe, front, and central-Asia as far as after Kamtschatka. However, it lives near small, fast flowing waters preferably and is to be therefore found in the levels rarely.

Way of life The stilts are quite active in its nature. Eagerly, they look for smaller worms and insect-larvae at the ground; adult insects like to also snatch it out of the air or in shallow waters. The animal food is supplemented through soft Sämereien. The wagtail developed into a Kulturfolger, that even sent to very busy country roads, after killed insects seeks.

Brood The wagtail broods everywhere where only Nistgelegenheiten present themselves: Shed roofed u wood-pushes, wall-niches. ä. Usually is they on tan reason 5 or 6 eggs in many different ways spotted or shaded. In Central Europe, 2-3 broods (brood-duration 12 days) are reared from May to July. Usually, the female broods. Both parents share the feeding.