Willie Wagtail Bird Facts (Rhipidura leucophrys)

The Willie Wagtail is a striking small bird with bold black and white plumage. Its upperparts, including the head, throat, and breast, are jet black, contrasting sharply with its white eyebrows, belly, and outer tail feathers.

Both sexes look alike, with a slender black bill and legs. Juveniles are similar to adults but have a brownish tinge to their black feathers and may show some buff edging on their wing coverts.

The Willie Wagtail can be found in Woodland habitats.

The Willie Wagtail can be found in Garden habitats.

The Willie Wagtail is not typically found in Wetland habitats.

The Willie Wagtail is not typically found in Coastal habitats.

The Willie Wagtail can be found in Urban habitats.

The Willie Wagtail can be found in Farmland habitats.

The Willie Wagtail can be found in Grassland habitats.

The Willie Wagtail is not typically found in Desert habitats.

The Willie Wagtail is not typically found in Tundra habitats.

The Willie Wagtail is not typically found in Rainforest habitats.

The Willie Wagtail is not typically found in Mountain habitats.

The Willie Wagtail is not typically found in Savanna habitats.

Willie Wagtails are found across most of Australia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and parts of Indonesia. They inhabit a wide range of open habitats, including woodlands, grasslands, and urban areas.

In Australia, they are common in both rural and urban settings, often seen in parks, gardens, and along watercourses. Their adaptability has allowed them to thrive in human-modified landscapes.

This map gives you a rough idea of where you might spot a Willie Wagtail. The coloured areas show countries where these birds have been seen.

A few things to keep in mind:

Birds might not be everywhere in the coloured areas, for example, they may be present around the coast of that country
Where birds live can change with seasons and available food
This map is quite simple - it doesn't show exact locations

We're working on making our maps even better! Soon, we hope to show you:

More detailed maps for bigger countries, including state and region
How birds move around during different seasons

Species that can be found in the area throughout the year

Australia Indonesia Papua New Guinea Solomon Islands

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Bird Attributes Explained

Our bird attributes system rates various aspects of a bird's capabilities on a scale of 0-100, based on data from field observations, scientific studies, and expert knowledge.

Attribute Categories:

Agility: Manoeuvrability, speed, and grace in flight or movement.
Strength: Physical power, often correlating with size and hunting abilities.
Adaptability: Ability to thrive in various environments or changing conditions.
Aggressiveness: Territorial behaviour and assertiveness, particularly during breeding seasons.
Endurance: Stamina, often seen in migration patterns or foraging behaviours.

Understanding the Ratings:

0-20: Very Low
21-40: Low
41-60: Average
61-80: High
81-100: Very High

Remember, these attributes are relative to other bird species and don't necessarily indicate superiority.

Agility

Reflects the bird's manoeuvrability, speed, and grace in flight or movement.

The Willie Wagtail demonstrates remarkable agility through its quick aerial manoeuvres whilst catching insects in flight, swift ground movements, and characteristic tail-wagging behaviour. Their ability to execute rapid directional changes during insect pursuit showcases their exceptional manoeuvrability.

Strength

Indicates the bird's physical power, often correlating with size and hunting abilities.

Whilst small in stature (17-24g), the Willie Wagtail exhibits modest strength relative to its size. Though capable of defending territory against larger birds, their physical power is primarily suited to their insectivorous lifestyle and lightweight aerial pursuits.

Adaptability

Represents the bird's ability to thrive in various environments or changing conditions.

Exceptionally adaptable birds that thrive across diverse habitats from sea level to 2,800m, including urban areas, farmlands, and natural landscapes. Their ability to utilise human structures for nesting and succeed in modified environments demonstrates remarkable adaptability.

Aggressiveness

Measures the bird's territorial behaviour and assertiveness, particularly during breeding seasons.

Notably aggressive for their size, Willie Wagtails fearlessly defend their territory against much larger birds and even humans. They're known to actively chase away potential predators and maintain strong territorial boundaries, showing remarkable boldness in confrontations.

Endurance

Reflects the bird's stamina, often seen in migration patterns or foraging behaviours.

Shows solid endurance through sustained territorial defence, active foraging behaviour throughout the day, and ability to maintain energetic displays. Their 'sit-and-wait' hunting strategy, combined with burst pursuits, indicates efficient energy management for their active lifestyle.

Willie Wagtails are primarily insectivorous, feeding on a wide variety of insects, including flies, beetles, moths, and spiders.

They employ a 'sit-and-wait' hunting strategy, perching on low branches or fences before darting out to catch prey in mid-air or on the ground.

Willie Wagtails are known for their distinctive tail-wagging behaviour, often fanning their tails side to side or up and down.

They are highly territorial and fearlessly chase away much larger birds, including predators. These birds are often seen foraging on the ground, making quick dashes to catch insects.

Willie Wagtails have a varied vocal repertoire. Their most recognisable call is a sweet, musical 'sweet pretty creature' often repeated.

They also produce harsh, scolding calls when alarmed or defending territory. At night, they may emit a repetitive 'chid-chid-chid-chid' sound.

Willie Wagtails form monogamous pairs and breed between August and February in Australia. They engage in elaborate courtship displays, including aerial chases and wing-fluttering.

The nest is a neat cup made of grass, bark strips, and spider webs, often placed on a horizontal branch or human-made structure. Females typically lay 3-4 cream-coloured eggs with brown spots.

Both parents share incubation duties for about 14 days. The chicks fledge after 14-15 days but continue to be fed by their parents for several weeks after leaving the nest.

The Willie Wagtail typically lives for 6 to 8 years, with a maximum recorded lifespan of 9.4 years.

Like all birds, lifespan can be affected by factors including predation, habitat quality, disease, and access to food sources.

Willie Wagtails are listed as Least Concern by the IUCN due to their large range and stable population.

They have adapted well to human-modified environments, often benefiting from agricultural practices that create suitable foraging habitats. However, they can be affected by pesticide use in farming areas.

Look for Willie Wagtails in open areas like parks, gardens, and farmlands
Listen for their distinctive 'sweet pretty creature' call
Observe their characteristic tail-wagging behaviour
Watch for their bold interactions with other birds

Main predators include domestic and feral cats, snakes, and larger birds of prey such as kookaburras and butcherbirds.

Willie Wagtails can recognise individual humans and may become aggressive towards those they perceive as threats.
They often build their nests near human dwellings, sometimes incorporating artificial materials like string or paper.
In Aboriginal Australian folklore, Willie Wagtails are often portrayed as tale-bearers or gossips.

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