Willy wagtail, Black-and-white fantail, Black-and-white flycatcher, Pied fantail, White-browed fantail, Willie-wagtail, Water wagtail, Fantail flycatcher, Willy, Willie, Wagtail
The willy (or willie) wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys ) is a passerine bird native to Australia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, the Bismarck Archipelago, and Eastern Indonesia. It is a common and familiar bird throughout much of its range, living in most habitats apart from thick forest. Measuring 19–21.5 cm (7+1⁄2–8+1⁄2 in) in length, the willie wagtail is contrastingly coloured with almost entirely black upperparts and white underparts; the male and female have similar plumage.
Three subspecies are recognised; Rhipidura leucophrys leucophrys from central and southern Australia, the smaller R. l. picata from northern Australia, and the larger R. l. melaleuca from New Guinea and islands in its vicinity. It is unrelated to the true wagtails of the genus Motacilla ; it is a member of the fantail genus Rhipidura and is a part of a "core corvine" group that includes true crows and ravens, drongos and birds of paradise. Within this group, fantails are placed either in the family Dicruridae, alongside drongos, or in their own small family, Rhipiduridae.
The willie wagtail is insectivorous and spends much time chasing prey in open habitat. Its common name is derived from its habit of wagging its tail horizontally when foraging on the ground. Aggressive and territorial, the willie wagtail will often harass much larger birds such as the laughing kookaburra and wedge-tailed eagle. It has responded well to human alteration of the landscape and is a common sight in urban lawns, parks, and gardens. It is widely featured in Aboriginal folklore around Australia and New Guinea in a variety of roles, from stealer of secrets and liar to a good omen for successful crops.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
A territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
Sedentary animals lead such a type of lifestyle in which little to or no physical activity is done. These are mostly marine bottom-dwelling animals...
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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SocialFlocking birds are those that tend to gather to forage or travel collectively. Avian flocks are typically associated with migration. Flocking also ...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Willie (or willy) wagtail is the most familiar songbird found in Australia. It is common throughout much of its range, living in most habitats apart from thick forest. This bird spends much time chasing prey in open habitat. Aggressive and territorial, the Willie wagtail will often harass much larger birds such as the Laughing kookaburra and Wedge-tailed eagle. It has responded well to human alteration of the landscape and is a common sight in urban lawns, parks, and gardens. It is widely featured in Aboriginal folklore around Australia and New Guinea in a variety of roles, from stealer of secrets and liar to a good omen for successful crops.
Willie wagtails are found across most of Australia and New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, the Bismarck Archipelago, and eastern Indonesia. They are sedentary across most of Australia and are autumn and winter visitors to northeastern New South Wales and southeast Queensland, as well as the Gulf Country and parts of the Cape York Peninsula in the far north. Willie wagtails live in a wide variety of habitats, but avoid densely forested areas such as rainforest. They prefer semi-open woodland or grassland with scattered trees, often near wetlands or bodies of water. In New Guinea, they inhabit man-made clearings and grasslands, as well as open forest and mangroves. These birds also often hunt in open, grassed areas such as lawns, gardens, parkland, and sporting grounds.
Willie wagtails are energetic birds; they are almost always on the move and rarely still for more than a few moments during daylight hours. Even while perching they will flick their tail from side to side, twisting about looking for prey. Willie wagtails are usually seen singly or in pairs, although they may gather in small flocks. Much of their time is spent on the ground. In flight they beat their wings deeply, interspersing with a swift flying dip and characteristically wag their tail upon landing after a short dipping flight. Willie wagtails hunt by perching on low branches, fences, posts, and the like, watching for insects and other small invertebrates in the air or on the ground. They usually hunt by hawking flying insects, but will occasionally glean from the ground. They will often hop along the ground and flit behind people and animals, such as cattle, sheep, or horses, as they walk over grassed areas, to catch any creatures disturbed by their passing. These birds kill their prey by bashing it against a hard surface, or holding it and pulling off the wings before extracting the edible insides. Willie wagtails are highly territorial and can be quite fearless in defense of their territory; they will harry not only small birds but also much larger species and may even attack domestic dogs, cats, and humans that approach their nest too closely. A pair of birds will declare and defend their territory against other pairs in a diving display. One bird remains still while the other loops and dives repeatedly before the roles are reversed; both sing all the while. Willie wagtails are very "chatty" and have a number of distinct vocalizations. Their most-recognized sound is an alarm call which is a rapid 'chit-chit-chit-chit'. The alarm call is sounded to warn off potential rivals and threats from the birds' territory and also seems to serve as a signal to their mate when a potential threat is in the area.
Willie wagtails are carnivores (insectivores). They eat a wide variety of insects, including butterflies, moths, flies, beetles, dragonflies, bugs, spiders, centipedes, and millipedes, and have been recorded killing small lizards such as skinks and geckos.
Willie wagtails are monogamous and usually pair for life. Their breeding season lasts from July to December, more often occurring after rain in drier regions. Anywhere up to four broods may be raised during this time. The birds build a cup-like nest on a tree branch away from leaves or cover, less than 5 m (16 ft) above the ground. The nest consists of grass stems, strips of bark, and other fibrous material that is bound and woven together with a spider web. The female lays 2 to 4 small cream-white eggs with brownish markings and incubates them for 14 days. The chicks are altricial; they are born naked and helpless with closed eyes and remain in the nest. Both parents take part in feeding the young and may continue to do so while embarking on another brood. Nestlings remain in the nest for around 14 days before fledging. Upon leaving, the fledglings will remain hidden in cover nearby for 1 or 2 days before venturing further afield, up to 20 m (66 ft) away by the 3rd day. Parents will stop feeding their young near the end of the second week, as the chicks increasingly forage for themselves, and soon afterward drive them out of the territory.
Willie wagtails are widespread and abundant throughout their range and don't face any major threats at present.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Willie wagtail total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are increasing.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...