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Willie Wagtail

One of Australia's most widespread birds on mainland.Mostly black with a white belly and eyebrow.  A young bird has paler, slightly rusty edges to its wing feathers.

Size

18 - 22 cm long (from head to tail)

Behaviour

Call

Whistled notes which can be interpreted as "sweet-pretty-creature"; also harsh chattering.

Diet

Small insects and animals that live on, or just under, the surface of the ground, including grasshoppers, scarab beetles, insect larvae, frogs and small lizards. During the day it walks along jabbing its beak into the ground, searching for food.

Movement

Agile and twisting. It is usually seen alone or in pairs, although in winter it may join a flock, often with other species.

Breeding

It's nest is a neat cup of grasses covered with spider's web on the outside and lined with soft grasses, hair and fur. Three cream eggs, speckled with grey and brown, are incubated for 14 days by both parents. The young birds spend about 14 days in the nest then are driven away when the next clutch starts to hatch. In favourable conditions there may be four successive clutches in a season.

Field Guide

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  • Species Category: Birds
  • Species origin: Native
  • Conservation status: Common
  • Did You Know?
    • Average weight 18 grams
    • It is the largest and most well-known of the Australian fantails
    • It may re-use its nest from the previous year, or destroy the old nest and re-use the materials to build a new nest
    • It actively defends its territory, even behaving aggressively toward birds and animals much larger than itself

  • What to Observe

    • Courting/Mating

    • Nesting

    • Calling

    • Feeding

    • Bird with chicks

    • Bird on eggs

    • Bird in nest

    • Bird feeding begging young

    Climate Adaptations

    Warmer weather due to climate change may potentially extend the breeding season of Willie Wagtails by allowing them to start breeding earlier and continue until later in the year.

  • When and Where

    When To Look

    • Usually nests from August to February, although it can nest year round
    • Eggs hatch about 14 days after being laid
    • Young birds leave the nest when they are 14 days old

    Where To Look

    • Throughout mainland Australia, but not usually in Tasmania
    • In most open habitats, especially forests and woodlands, and common in urban areas
    • Not found in wet forests or rainforests
    • Its nest is built on a horizontal tree branch or other similar structure

  • What Else?

    Any other black-and-white fantail or flycatcher generally won't have the black throat and white eyebrows.

    Similar Species

    Restless Flycatcher (Myiagra inquieta) has a black head crest which makes it look more angular, and lacks the white eyebrow. Its chin and throat are white, instead of black, and its tail is less rounded and doesn't wag.
  • Trails: Albury Botanic Gardens NSW, Anakie Gorge VIC, Australian National Botanic Gardens ACT, Bendigo Kennington Reservoir VIC, Bibra Lake WA, Bournda EEC NSW, Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mount Coot-tha QLD, Brisbane City Gardens QLD, Canning River Regional Park WA, Cape Conran VIC, Cumberland Land Conservancy Marsdenia NSW, Cumberland Land Conservancy Thornbill NSW, Cumberland Land Conservancy Wallaroo NSW, Cumberland Land Conservancy Wombat NSW, Darwin East Point Reserve NT, Ecolinc Bacchus Marsh VIC, Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens QLD, Grampians NP Venus Baths VIC, Gresswell Forest VIC, Gumblossom Reserve WA, Herdsman Lake WA, Kangaroo Valley PS NSW, Killalea State Park NSW, Kings Billabong Mildura VIC, Kings Park & Botanic Garden WA, Kwinana WA, Lake Monger WA, Lake Seppings Albany WA, Maitland Park Geraldton WA, Marlee Reserve WA, Monash University VIC, Murdoch University WA, Newhaven College VIC, North Head NSW, Organ Pipes NP VIC, Pannawonica WA, Paraburdoo WA, Randwick Coastal Walkway NSW, Randwick Environmental Park NSW, Reedy Swamp Shepparton VIC, Rocky Creek Dam NSW, Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne VIC, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne VIC, Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney NSW, Rumbalara EEC NSW, Serendip Sanctuary VIC, St Josephs College Geelong VIC, Sunshine Coast Currimundi QLD, Sunshine Coast Kawana Forest QLD, Sunshine Coast Maroochy Wetlands QLD, Sydney Olympic Park NSW, The Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan NSW, Tom Price WA, Tyrendarra IPA VIC, University of Sydney NSW, University of Western Australia WA, Urrbrae Wetland SA, Valley Reserve Mount Waverley VIC, Waylen Bay Scout Group WA, Werribee Open Range Zoo VIC, Wickham WA, Yarra Bend Park VIC, Yarra River Main Yarra Trail opp Darling Gardens VIC, Valley Lake SA, Sunshine Coast Doonan Creek QLD
  • Species Region: Australia