Rhipidura leucophrys
The Willie Wagtail, *Rhipidura leucophrys*, is an iconic and highly animated passerine bird renowned for its bold personality and distinctive appearance across Australia, New Guinea, and adjacent islands. Measuring between 19 and 21.5 cm in length and weighing 17-24 grams, adults exhibit striking glossy black plumage on their upperparts, head, and breast, contrasting sharply with a pure white belly and a prominent white supercilium (eyebrow) that extends to a fine point behind the eye. Its lo...
Found in a wide variety of open habitats, including woodlands, grasslands, agricultural areas, parks, and urban gardens, often near water sources. It thrives from sea level up to mid-elevations in mountainous regions.
Primarily insectivorous, consuming a wide range of flying insects such as flies, moths, beetles, and crickets, along with spiders. They forage actively by aerial hawking, gleaning from foliage, or pouncing on prey from low perches.
Willie Wagtails are intensely active diurnal birds, often seen alone or in pairs, typically roosting in dense shrubs or tree cover at night. Their foraging strategy is characterized by constant movement, flitting between perches, darting out to catch insects in mid-air (aerial hawking), or pounci...
The Willie Wagtail is widely distributed across the Australian continent, Tasmania, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Bismarck Archipelago, and parts of eastern Indonesia (including Timor-Leste and the Kai Islands). It is largely a resident species throughout its vast range, with no significant lo...
Least Concern
- Willie Wagtails are famously fearless, often mobbing much larger birds, including kookaburras, magpies, and even birds of prey, if they come too close to their territory or nest. - Their incessant tail-wagging, which gives them their name, is thought to help flush out hidden insects from vegeta...