Motacilla capensis
The Cape Wagtail, Motacilla capensis, is a sprightly and familiar passerine of Southern and Eastern Africa, known for its characteristic tail-wagging. Measuring approximately 19-20 cm in length and weighing 17-23 g, its plumage is subtly attractive: slate-grey to olive-brown upperparts, paler, whitish underparts, and a distinctive white supercilium above a dark eye-stripe. The long, dark tail, constantly wagging, is fringed with white outer feathers, a key identification mark alongside its sl...
Found in a wide variety of open or semi-open habitats, including grasslands, wetland edges, agricultural fields, coastal areas, and urban gardens, from sea level up to 3000 meters.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on a wide range of invertebrates including beetles, flies, ants, grasshoppers, and caterpillars, supplemented occasionally with small fish, crustaceans, and seeds, foraging by ground gleaning and short aerial sallies.
Cape Wagtails are diurnal and highly active foragers, often seen briskly walking or running across open ground, constantly wagging their tails. They typically roost communally in dense vegetation or individually in sheltered spots. During the breeding season, they are strongly territorial, with m...
The Cape Wagtail boasts a widespread distribution across Southern and Eastern Africa, making it one of the most common and familiar birds in these regions. Its breeding and year-round range extends from Angola, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe, through Zambia and Mozambique, south throughout South...
Least Concern
- The Cape Wagtail's scientific name, "Motacilla capensis," literally translates to "wagtail of the Cape," referring to South Africa's Cape of Good Hope, where it is very common. - Locals sometimes affectionately refer to them as "quicksteppies" due to their swift, darting movements and perpetual...