How rare is a yellow wagtail?

What kind of tail does a grey wagtail have?

The grey wagtail is more colourful than its name suggests with slate grey upper parts and distinctive lemon yellow under-tail. Its tail is noticeably longer than those of pied and yellow wagtails.

How many eggs does a wagtail bird have?

They can have up to two broods, each with five or six eggs. A summer visitor, they arrive from their African wintering grounds from March onwards. The yellow wagtail is olivey-green above and yellow below, with a yellow face and a black-and-white tail.

Which wagtail has the longest tail?

The Grey Wagtail has the longest tail of the wagtails and like the others its tail is wagged continually. The long tail improves its agility while flying in pursuit of insects. The blue-grey upperparts contrast with black wings, bright yellow breast and belly and yellow-green rump.

What does a wagtail egg look like?

Their eggs can be identified by their dark grey spots and pale grey colour, smooth and glossy, and are about 20 mm by 15 mm. The male and female take turns nurturing the eggs, and both adults feed the chicks. Each pair of wagtails will typically try and nest two or three times throughout the summer.

What does a male wagtail bird look like?

Male: Small blue-grey and yellow bird with a wagging long tail. Female: Like the male, but duller. The Grey Wagtail has the longest tail of the wagtails and like the others its tail is wagged continually. The long tail improves its agility while flying in pursuit of insects.

Which bird has the longest tail feather?

Related to the body size, male Ribbon-tailed astrapia has the longest tail feather in bird family. Found only in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, a fully grown male astrapia has a length up to 1 feet. Surprisingly. Its ribbon like white tail feathers grows up to a length of 3 feet. That’s three times of their body length.

Can willie wagtail detect eggs that are not yours?

A Willie Wagtail can recognise an egg that isn’t theirs and will evict it from the nest. Big birds like Butcherbirds, Currawongs, Crows, Wedge-tailed Eagles, Brown Hawks, Magpies and Kookaburras that want to eat their chicks.

How do you identify a willie wagtail?

The Willie Wagtail can be distinguished from other similar-sized black and white birds by its black throat and white eyebrows and whisker marks. The name wagtail stems from the constant sideways wagging of the tail.

How do you identify a pied wagtail?

The Pied Wagtail, or scientifically called Motacilla alba, can be identified by their familiar white and grey patches on their tummies, face and on the bars of the wings, as well as the black colour along its back, neck, bars of the wings and covers the tail. The most distinctive feature is the tail, as its named after it, it never stops waging!

What bird has a long tail with a ribbon tail?

Ribbon-tailed astrapia. As far as excessively long tail feathers, the ribbon-tailed astrapia gives the long-tailed widowbird a serious run for his money. This is a species of bird-of-paradise, many of which are famous for over-the-top plumage. The males grow two extraordinarily long tail feathers.

Willie wagtails lay speckled eggs?

Willie Wagtails lay speckled eggs, with a primary cream colour with grey/brown speckles. The birds are raised until the next season of eggs hatching at which point they will be forced out of the nest by the parents.

Is the pied wagtail on the Red List?

Classified in the UK as Green under the Birds of Conservation Concern 4: the Red List for Birds (2015). A common and familiar bird, the pied wagtail is often seen in towns and cities, dashing across lawns, roads and car parks while wagging its long tail up and down.

What are the 6 basic tail shapes?

The 6 basic tail shapes are: Fan, Forked, Notched, Pointed, Rounded, and Square. After you chose a tail shape you will see a list of birds with that tail shape.

What predators do willie wagtail birds have?

Although the willie wagtail is an aggressive defender of its nest, predators do account for many eggs and young. About two thirds of eggs hatch successfully, and a third leave the nest as fledglings. Nestlings may be preyed upon by both pied butcherbirds, (Cracticus nigrogularis) black butcherbirds (C.

What is the function of the feathers on a bird’s tail?

The trailing, inner wing feathers, the secondaries, provide lift, while the trailing, outer wing feathers, the primaries, provide thrust. Most species have large tail feathers. They function like a rudder when flying and like brakes when landing. Smaller contour feathers cover the body and leading edges of the wings.

Willie wagtails are active feeders?

Willie Wagtails are active feeders. Birds can be seen darting around lawns as they hunt for insects on the ground. As they do so, the tail is wagged from side to side. Insects are also captured in the air, in active chases.

What birds do willie wagtails attack?

The willie wagtail is highly territorial and can be quite fearless in defence of its territory; it will harry not only small birds but also much larger species such as the Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen), raven (Corvus coronoides), laughing kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae), or wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax).

Where can I find a willie wagtail?

The Willie Wagtail is found throughout mainland Australia but is absent from Tasmania. It is also found in New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, the Bismarck Archipelago and the Moluccas. Willie Wagtails are active feeders. Birds can be seen darting around lawns as they hunt for insects on the ground. As they do so, the tail is wagged from side to side.

Are willie wagtails active feeders?

Willie wagtails are active feeders. They can be seen darting around on the ground as they hunt for insects, their tails wagging from side to side. Aggressive and territorial, willie wagtails often harass much larger birds such as kookaburras and wedge-tailed eagles.

Are willie wagtail birds aggressive?

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.

What does a willie wagtail bird eat?

The willie wagtail perches on low branches, fences, posts, and the like, watching for insects and other small invertebrates in the air or on the ground. It usually hunts by hawking flying insects such as gnats, flies, and small moths, but will occasionally glean from the ground.