Yellow Wagtails Western Treatment Plant, Vic

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Hi All,
It is certainly a nice looking wagtail and we don't get them in Victoria 
that often at all. Not quite as convinced on the tschutschensis vs simillima 
separation. While I agree tschutschensis appears the more likely of the two 
given the 'necklace' and coloration I don't think one can be definitive. 
Alstrom and Mild (2003) reckon there was significant overlap in all 
characters when they lined the specimens up and they acknowledge the 
putative simillima can have a necklace (presumably rarely). At any rate they 
synonymised simillima with tschutschensis so according to them it doesn't 
exist.
Tony, wondering why you'd come over for a tschutschensis but not a 
simillima - or were you thinking of taivana (Green-headed Yellow Wagtail 
split from Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Christidis and Boles)?
Cheers,
Rohan

Rohan Clarke
www.wildlifeimages.com.au

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