grey wagtail; gray wagtail
A bird species (Motacilla cinerea) with a long tail that it bobs up and down. Often found near water.
I spotted a grey wagtail by the river.
The grey wagtail bobs its long tail up and down.
Standard katakana spelling for this bird name.
Kanji form is rare and difficult; the bird name is almost always written in kana.
The name キセキレイ is a compound of 黄 (ki, 'yellow') and 鶺鴒 (sekirei, 'wagtail'), referring to the bird's yellow underparts. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.