Motacillidae

Small birds which bob their rear ends up and down while walking are popularly called นกเด้า nók dâw 'bobber (bird)'. Formerly, the name also occurred with an old wildlife prefix as กระเด้า krà-dâw. With the advent of modern scientific nomenclature, almost all of these species ended up in the Motacillidae, where นกเด้าลม nók dâw-lom 'air-bobber-(bird)' are wagtails and นกเด้าดิน nók dâw-din 'earth-bobber-(bird)' are pipits. The latter name is also applied to Common Sandpiper (Scolopacidae).

The name of the pipits in Japanese, タヒバリ ta-hibari, literally means 'field-lark'. When written in Chinese characters it is traditionally written as 田雲雀 or as 田鷚. The first character, 田, is the character for タ ta 'field'. This is followed by 雲雀, literally 'cloud sparrow', or 鷚, which are alternative ways of writing ヒバリ hibari 'lark'. However, in Chinese, 鷚 (pronounced liù or in Taiwan liào) itself is understood to mean 'pipit'.

Motacilla alba lugens is sometimes considered a separate species. In Japanese, Motacilla lugens is known as:
タイリクハクセキレイ
(大陸白鶺鴒)
tairiku haku-sekirei
'continental white wagtail'

ビンズイ binzui is an onomatopoeic name based on the bird's call, which sounds like ビンビン ツイツイ bin-bin tsui tsui in Japanese. This is arbitrarily written 便追, chosen for its sound (binzui) rather than its meaning (roughly 'convenient pursue' or 'mail pursue'). The alternative form 木鷚 'tree lark' is based on the species' (original) Chinese name.

Motacilla alba lugens is sometimes considered a separate species. In Chinese, Motacilla lugens is known as:
黑背白鹡鸰
hēi-bèi bái jílíng
'black-backed white wagtail' (2, 4)
黑背鹡鸰
hēi-bèi jílíng
'black-backed wagtail' (3)

The Thai list divides Motacilla alba into a range of separate species. They are:
Motacilla baicalensis:
นกอุ้มบาตรหน้าขาวหลังเทา
nók ûm-bàat nâa-kʰăaw lăŋ-tʰaw
'grey-backed white-faced alms-bowl-holder bird' (22, 23)
Motacilla ocularis:
นกอุ้มบาตรแถบตาดำ
nók ûm-bàat tʰàeep-taa-dam
'black-eyebanded alms-bowl-holder bird' (22, 23)
Motacilla lugens:
นกอุ้มบาตรหลังดำ
nók ûm-bàat lăŋ-dam
'black-backed alms-bowl-holder bird' (22, 23)
Motacilla leucopsis:
นกอุ้มบาตรหน้าขาวหลังดำ
nók ûm-bàat nâa-kʰăaw lăŋ-dam
'black-backed white-faced alms-bowl-holder bird' (22, 23)
Motacilla alboides:
นกอุ้มบาตรหิมาลัย
nók ûm-bàat hì-maa-lay
'Himalayan alms-bowl-holder bird' (22, 23)

中国鸟类种和亚种分类名录大全（修订版） 郑作新 著 科学出版社 北京 2000年
A Complete Checklist of Species and Subspecies of the Chinese Birds (Revised Edition) by Cheng Tso-Hsin, Science Press, Beijing 2000

中国鸟类分类与分布名录 主编：郑光美 科学出版社 北京 2005年
A Checklist on the Classification and Distribution of the Birds of China Chief editor: Zheng Guangmei, Science Press, Beijing 2005

中国鸟类野外手册（中文版）约翰・马敬能、卡伦・菲利普斯，合作者：荷芬奇，翻译：卢和芬 湖南教育出版社 长沙 2000年
A Field Guide to the Birds of China (Chinese translation) by John MacKinnon, Karen Phillipps, in collaboration with He Fen-qi, translated by Lu Hefen, Hunan Jiaoyu Chubanshe (Hunan Educational Press) Changsha 2000

世界鸟类分类与分布名录 主编：郑光美 科学出版社 北京 2002年
A Checklist on the Classification and Distribution of the Birds of the World Chief editor: Zheng Guangmei, Science Press, Beijing 2002

世界鸟类名称（拉丁文、汉文、英文对照）第二版 郑作新等 科学出版社 北京 2002年
Birds of the World (Latin, Chinese and English Names) 2nd ed. by Cheng Tso-Hsin et al, Science Press, Beijing 2002

Danh Lục Chim Việt Nam (In lần thứ hai) (Checklist of the Birds of Vietnam) Võ Quý, Nguyễn Cử, Nhà Xuất Bản Nông Nghiệp, Hà Nội 1999

Chim Việt Nam Nguyễn Cử, Lê Trọng Trải, Karen Phillipps; Nhà Xuất Bản Lao Động - Xã Hội, 2000

Senarai Nama-nama Burung Semenanjung Malaysia dan Asia Tenggara by Ismail, Abdul Rahman, Perhilitan (Jabatam Perlindungan Hidupan Liar dan Taman Negara, Semenanjung Malaysia), Kuala Lumpur 1981
List of the Names of Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Southeast Asia by Ismail, Abdul Rahman, Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Peninsular Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 1981

Previously online version of: Senarai Nama-nama Burung Semenanjung Malaysia dan Asia Tenggara by Ismail, Abdul Rahman, Perhilitan (Jabatam Perlindungan Hidupan Liar dan Taman Negara, Semenanjung Malaysia), Kuala Lumpur 1981
List of the Names of Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Southeast Asia by Ismail, Abdul Rahman, Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Peninsular Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 1981

The Birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsula: Vol. 1 - Non-passerines by Wells, David R., Academic Press, London 1999

A Field Guide to the Birds of West Malaysia and Singapore by Jeyarajasingam, Allen and Alan Pearson, Oxford University Press, Oxford 1999

The Birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsula: Vol. 2 - Passerines by Wells, David R., Christopher Helm, A&C Black, London 2007

A Field Guide to the Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore (second edition) by Jeyarajasingham, Allen, Illustrations by Alan Pearson, Oxford University Press, Oxford 2012

A Field Guide to the Birds of Java and Bali (second edition) by MacKinnon, John, Gadjah Mada University Press, Yogyakarta 1990

Danh Lục Các Loài Chim ở Việt Nam (Latinh, Việt, Pháp, Hán) Trần Văn Chánh 2008-2009