Willie Wagtail

The Willie Wagtail is one of Australia’s most familiar and best-loved birds. Small, active and full of personality, it is often seen flicking and fanning its tail as it darts across lawns, paddocks, creek edges and suburban gardens. Its bold black-and-white plumage, lively chatter and fearless nature make it easy to recognise.

Although it is called a wagtail, the Willie Wagtail is not a true wagtail. It belongs to the fantail family, Rhipiduridae, not the wagtail and pipit family Motacillidae. It is a native Australian songbird and one of the most widespread birds in the country.

What Does the Willie Wagtail Look Like?

The Willie Wagtail is a slender, medium-small bird measuring about 19 to 21 centimetres long, with much of that length made up by its tail.

It has:

• glossy black upperparts
• a black head and throat
• a bold white eyebrow
• a crisp white belly and underparts
• a long black tail edged with white
• a habit of constantly wagging, flicking and fanning its tail

Males and females look very similar, so they are difficult to tell apart in the field.

What Does the Willie Wagtail Sound Like?

The Willie Wagtail is a very vocal bird. It gives a mix of:

• sharp chattering calls
• quick scolding notes
• sweet warbling song phrases

Its calls are often heard before the bird is noticed. It may sing from a fence, low branch, rooftop or powerline, and it is especially noisy when defending territory or warning other birds away from its nest.

Where Does the Willie Wagtail Live?

The Willie Wagtail is found across most of mainland Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and parts of eastern Indonesia.

In Australia, it lives in a wide range of habitats, especially open or lightly wooded country such as:

• woodland edges
• farmland
• grasslands
• riverbanks
• wetlands
• coastal areas
• parks and gardens
• suburbs and country towns

It usually prefers places with open ground for feeding and nearby perches such as branches, fences, wires or posts.

Willie Wagtail Habitat

Willie Wagtails adapt well to human-altered landscapes, which is why they are so common in rural and suburban areas. They are less common in dense rainforest, thick forest interior and the most barren treeless country, but they are highly successful in open habitats where insects are easy to catch.

What Does the Willie Wagtail Eat?

The Willie Wagtail mainly eats insects and other small invertebrates. Its diet includes:

• flies
• beetles
• moths
• butterflies
• ants
• grasshoppers
• bugs
• spiders

It hunts by:

• darting from a perch to catch insects in the air
• running quickly across the ground
• picking prey from foliage or the soil surface
• following livestock, people or machinery to catch insects disturbed by movement

This feeding behaviour makes the Willie Wagtail an important natural insect controller in gardens, farms and bushland.

Willie Wagtail Behaviour

The Willie Wagtail is famous for being bold, energetic and territorial. It is far more fearless than its size suggests and will often chase much larger birds away from its nesting area, including:

• magpies
• currawongs
• kookaburras
• crows and ravens
• birds of prey

This behaviour, known as mobbing, helps protect eggs and chicks from predators.

Willie Wagtails are usually seen alone or in pairs, although family groups may gather after breeding. They are active during the day and may also feed around outdoor lights at dusk where insects are attracted.

How Long Does the Willie Wagtail Live?

Like many small birds, young Willie Wagtails face many natural dangers, so not all survive for long. However, banding records show that some Willie Wagtails can live for more than 10 years in the wild.

Their lifespan depends on factors such as:

• food availability
• predation
• weather
• habitat quality
• success during the breeding season

Willie Wagtail Breeding

The breeding season varies with location and rainfall, but in many parts of Australia it takes place from late winter to summer.

Nest

The nest is a small, neat cup made from fine grasses, bark, roots and plant fibres, all carefully bound together with spider web. It is often built on:

• a horizontal branch
• a fork in a tree
• a ledge
• a beam
• a garden structure
• a man-made platform

Eggs

A typical clutch contains 2 to 4 eggs. The eggs are usually pale with darker spots and blotches.

Parents and Young

Both adults may share nesting duties and feeding of the chicks. Willie Wagtails are extremely defensive when nesting and will vigorously chase away intruders. The chicks grow quickly and are fed mostly on insects.