The willy (or willie) wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys) is a passerineA passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. They are perching birds. Most of them are small in size, and most can sing very well. Their main suborder is the Passeri, the songbirds.https://simple.wikipedia.org › wiki › Passerine
Pied wagtails eat insects, but will feed on seeds and even rubbish in winter. They flock together at warm roost sites like reedbeds and sewage works or trees and bushes in city centres.
This species derives its name from its well-known tail-wagging behaviour, in which the bird rapidly moves its tail side-to-side in the hori- zontal plane. The Wagtail is a pursuit predator that chases aerial insects, and the tail is wagged at variable rates while it is foraging on the ground.
Ornamental trees planted around shopping centres and supermarket car parks seem to be favourites, often near street lights, with the biggest roosts often numbering in the hundreds. There they sleep the night away amongst the twinkling Christmas lights.
The willie wagtail hops into your life to remind you to be cheerful! Much nourishment can come from taking the time to present yourself as cheerful and gregarious to others, even if you're not particularly feeling either.
Pied wagtails are resident throughout the UK, and easily recognised. These smart, active little birds with their dapper black and white plumage can be seen running around car parks, playing fields and just about any open, flat area, frantically wagging their tails up and down and leaping into the air to catch insects.
Romany mythology says that pied wagtails can bring good luck and that if you spot a wagtail then minutes later you will see a true born Romany.
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.
The grey wagtail is a common bird of fast-flowing rivers and can be found in high densities in the hills of England, Scotland and Wales. In winter, they move to lowland areas and can be spotted in farmyards and even in towns.
With a lifespan of 12 to 15 years, the willie wagtail is a bird you may get to know very well around your garden, it might just turn you into a "bird brain".
They enjoy feeding on edges of streams and small fish fry have been recorded in the diet. If you have a lawn with a path and ground feeder then you are more likely to attract Pied Wagtails.
Like other wagtails, they frequently wag their tail and fly low with undulations and they have a sharp call that is often given in flight.
During the winter, pied wagtails form large roosts at night to keep warm. There is safety in numbers and there have been roosts as large as 4000 individuals recorded. In the countryside, the birds will often roost in reed beds where they are safe from predators.
Our findings suggest that male willie wagtails sing at night to increase their chance of producing offspring during spring.
Your bird is nesting nearby - it sees its reflection in your window and thinks its a rival in love, so tries to drive it away by pecking at it!
The birds are so named because they incessantly wag their long tails up and down. The forest wagtail wags its entire body from side to side. Males of the white wagtail (Motacilla alba), common across Eurasia, are variably white and gray or white and black. The variety in Britain is called pied wagtail.
Voice. In flight, the Pied Wagtail utters a high-pitched "chissick" sound. They sing their twittering song from a perch or in the air.
Willy Wagtails are at home not only in Australia but also in parts of New Guinea, where folklore believes that they are the ghost of relatives and bring good luck. Some Aboriginal tribes in Australia, on the other hand, are a little more apprehensive towards the chatty little bird.
noun. wag·tail ˈwag-ˌtāl. : any of various chiefly Old World oscine birds (family Motacillidae) related to the pipits and having a long tail that they habitually jerk up and down.
wagtail (n.)
Transitive meaning "move (something) back and forth or up and down" is from c. 1300; of dogs and their tails from mid-15c.: "and whanne they [hounds] see the hure maystre they wol make him cheere and wagge hur tayles upon him." [Edward, Duke of York, "The Master of Game," 1456]. Related: Wagged; wagging.
Although it is active in defending its territory, the Willie Wagtail is very tolerant and tame around humans, often feeding and nesting in close proximity of houses and human activity.
Grey wagtails are slender ground-feeding insectivorous birds of open country. They are always associated with running water when breeding, although they may use man-made structures near streams for the nest. Outside the breeding season, these birds may also be seen around lakes, coasts, and other watery habitats.
Pied wagtails are incredibly comfortable around people and often visit parks and gardens. You'll also see them in very urban settings like flat roofs and car parks. These flat, open areas allow wagtails to see and chase after the insects they feed on.
It spends much time walking or running on the ground. As its name implies, it wags its tail from time to time. It is a summer visitor, migrating to winter in Africa.