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Willie WagtailAlternate name(s): "Black-and-white Fantail", "Shepherd's Companion", "Wagtail", "Frogbird", "Morning-bird","Gossipbird", "Messengerbird" Aboriginal name(s): Race "picata":
"deereeree", "dhirriirrii" [yuwaalaraay], "dhirridhirri" [gamilaraay];
"jindirr-jindirr"/"jinggir-jinggihr"/"jinggir-jinggir"/"jingir-jingir"/"jigir-jigir [bundjalung]; "jigirrjigirr" [ngadjon];
"tjerrap tjerrap" [tjapwurrung];
"djitidjiti", "wilaring" (WA);
"jitta jitta" [bibbulbum],
"jenning-gherrie", "mugana", "tityarokan";
Size: 19-22 cm (tail 10-11 cm) Weight: 17-24 g |
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Similar |
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Description
Classification
Distribution
Sightings
Photos
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Food
Call/s
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 Click here for a physical description
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See Willie
Wagtail at Wikipedia Click here for classification information
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
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Click here for sighting information
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Photos |
Not the photos you want? Or are you after even better quality? Have a
look here 
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Race "leucophrys"
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ADULT |
Sex unknown |
Close-up frontal view of a Willie Wagtail
[Eulah Creek, NSW, June 2022]
Frontal view of a Willie Wagtail
[Leard State Forest, near Maules Creek, NSW, November 2014]
Frontal view of a Willie Wagtail that has specialised into hunting
insects standing in the shallow water of a creek
[Girraween NP,
QLD, July 2009]
Frontal view of a preening Willie Wagtail
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2011]
Close-up near-frontal view of a Willie Wagtail
[Eulah Creek, NSW, June 2023]
Close-up near-frontal view of a Willie Wagtail looking sideways
[Eulah Creek, NSW, June 2023]
Near-lateral portrait of a Willie Wagtail
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, September 2019]
Close-up near-lateral view of a Willie Wagtail
[Eulah Creek, NSW, June 2023]
Lateral portrait of a Willie Wagtail
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2010]
Close-up lateral view of a Willie Wagtail
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2007]
Close-up lateral view of a Willie Wagtail
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Yamba, NSW, January 2021]
Close-up lateral view of a Willie Wagtail
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, May 2023]
Willie Wagtail without tail feathers
In the photos below we present a "new species", the Willie
No-Wagtail! 
Willie Wagtails
can be in a full tail moult even at the height of the breeding
season - one was found by us in the middle of September 2007,
while building its nest. The complete absence of a tail led to
a flight pattern that is entirely different from other birds of
the species. Naturally, the characteristic wagging was also
absent. Another was spotted without a tail in December 2021,
while feeding a clutch of 3 chicks.
What all this may suggest is that even without a tail and a wag
a Willie Wagtail can still successfully attract a breeding
partner and perform its daily functions, including providing
food for others.
Near-frontal view of an adult Willie Wagtail without a tail
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2021]
Near-lateral view of an adult Willie Wagtail without a tail
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2021]
Lateral view of an adult Willie Wagtail without a tail
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2021]
Willie Wagtail with a deformed bill
This Willie Wagtail has a deformed bill
[Near Narrabri, NSW, April 2011]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Frontal view of an immature Willie Wagtail challenging the photographer
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, 2006]
Lateral view of an immature Willie Wagtail (note the rufous
lining of the last remaining juvenile wing feathers)
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, February 2022]
Frontal view of a juvenile Willie Wagtail
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Ashmore, Gold Coast, QLD, November 2021]
Lateral view of a juvenile Willie Wagtail
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2011]
Adult Willie Wagtail feeding a dependent juvenile with an insect
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, December 2005]
Near-frontal view of a fledgling Willie Wagtail
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2008]
Near-lateral/ventral view of a fledgling Willie Wagtail
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2019]
Potentially deadly mistake by a juvenile Willie Wagtail; the bird
scabbed an insect out of the web of a Golden Silk Orb
Weaver [Nephila edulis] 
, but could
not free itself of the web anymore; it was rescued by a friendly
helper, who had to drag the webbing off its plumage and feet
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2008]
Frontal view of a fledgling Willie Wagtail on its first day out of
the nest
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2022]
Frontal view of a fledgling Willie Wagtail looking sideways
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2022]
Lateral view of a fledgling Willie Wagtail begging for food
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2022]
Lateral view of a fledgling Willie Wagtail looking away from the observer
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2022]
Race "picata"
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ADULT |
Sex unknown |
Frontal view of a Willie Wagtail
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Manton Dam, 50 km S of Darwin, NT, March 2020]
Near-frontal/ventral view of a Willie Wagtail
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Victoria Highway, NT, April 2018]
Near-lateral view of a Willie Wagtail
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Fogg Dam CR,
NT, May 2018]
Near-lateral view of a Willie Wagtail with its tail cocked
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Victoria Highway, NT, April 2018]
Lateral/ventral view of a Willie Wagtail; this is the bird whose
calls were
recorded on 5 June 2020
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Marlow Lagoon, Palmerston, NT, June 2020]
Lateral/ventral view of a Willie Wagtail
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Victoria Highway, NT, April 2018]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Lateral view of a juvenile Willie Wagtail; note the grey-brown
tips of the wing feathers and the and the still partly yellow bill
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]
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Breeding information |
| Breeding season: Jul - Jan | Eggs: 2 - 4 | Incubation period: 14 - 15 days | Fledging age: 14 days |
Given the right conditions, Willie Wagtails can breed any time of the year.
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Additional information |
There is a separate page describing the development of Willie Wagtail chicks from about day 8 to day 14 (the day they fledged).
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Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
| Type: Basket | Material: Grass bound by webs | Height above ground: 1 - 15 m |
The nest of a Willie Wagtail is nothing more than a cup glued onto a horizontal branch or similarly suitable object. In the cup they raise typically three chicks, which - when growing up - have a hard time staying inside or balancing on the edges of the nest without falling out. As soon as possible they will venture out onto the branch holding the nest.
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Additional information |
Willie Wagtails like to take advantage of the protection offered by nesting under an Australian Magpie nest. There is now a separate page about various bird species nesting under the umbrella of a stronger, protective species.
This is the fanciest Willie Wagtail nest found by us so far
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2016]
View from above into a Willie Wagtail's nest
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2007]
View of the three Willie Wagtail chicks that hatched out of the
eggs shown below, in the same nest as shown above (but a year later)
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2008]
Photo illustrating the size of a Willie Wagtail's nest; the adult bird
protrudes over the rim on both sides
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2007]
Willie Wagtail's nest with three chicks; they are too big to all fit
into the tiny cup, so the first and most daring starts to venture out,
even while the parents are calling a warning
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, January 2008]
Here a pair of Willie Wagtails that got themselves into quite some
predicament; in addition to the fact that they had built their
nest at eye level for a curious photographer, at least one of
the adult birds had to stay at the nest at all times, because
it was located in a pine tree in flower and being overrun by
ants - one can actually see an ant on the white plumage of the
adult bird
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2010]
In the general hubbub little mistakes can happen - oops...
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2010]
Some Willie Wagtails have "avant garde" tastes (photo courtesy of E.
Campbell)
[Narrabri, NSW, July 2012]
In other seasons the same Willie Wagtails have more conventional
nest sites (photo courtesy of E. Campbell)
[Narrabri, NSW, December 2012]
Pair of Willie Wagtails testing the quality of their nest in the making
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, December 2013]
Willie Wagtail nest in the awning of a carport
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2015]
In this example one can see how the base of a Willie Wagtail nest
in a natural setting is glued to the underlying fork with copious
amounts of spider webs
[Near Bugilbone, NSW, November 2017]
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Eggs |
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay] |
| Size: 20 x 15 mm | Colour: Creamy, with light- to dark-brown speckles | Shape: Tapered oval |
View from above into a Willie Wagtail's nest with three eggs in a
Callistemon
(bottlebrush) tree
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2013]
View onto the three eggs inside a Willie Wagtail nest
In this Willie Wagtail nest one chick has just hatched, the
second egg is still intact; the nest was so close to our house
that one could look into the nest from the rooftop
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2012]
Three Willie Wagtail eggs in the "avant garde" nest shown above (photo
courtesy of E. Campbell)
[Narrabri, NSW, July 2012]
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Behaviour |
| Social behaviour: Territorial | Mobility: Sedentary/dispersive | Elementary unit: Pair |
Willie Wagtails are used by other bird species as "sentries". When their alarm call is heard, other birds will often dive for cover.
They are the most fiercely territorial birds in the area where we live. During the breeding season of the Willie Wagtails no Magpie-larks, Butcherbirds, Australian Magpies or Pied Currawongs are tolerated near the nest. Even birds as large as Australian Ravens are hustled by Willie Wagtails to a degree that they prefer to leave rather than put up with the nuisance. We even have seen Willie Wagtails swooping on birds of prey the size of kites. Want to see the extremes that Willie Wagtails go to? See below.
During their breeding season Willie Wagtails appear to never sleep. They make themselves heard at any time of the day and night.
While out hunting insects in the paddocks, Willie Wagtails often make use of the livestock as perches from which they dive onto the insects disturbed by them.
Willie Wagtail using an Eastern Grey Kangaroo as its perch for
hunting insects
[Eulah Creek, NSW, June 2008]
Similar to Jacky Winters, they stay around us while working in the garden, picking off insects disturbed by us. The difference is that Willie Wagtails will come much closer than Jacky Winters.
Willie Wagtails are one of only a few bird species that can find prey
on a lawn
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2013]
Willie Wagtails are quick learners - this immature bird not only
knows how to ride piggy-back on an Eastern Grey Kangaroo...
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2015]
... but it knows that the tail is a good perch, too; and what's
more...
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2015]
... one can pick off insects from this "elevated work platform"
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2015]
Willie Wagtails are very versatile birds - here one seen on a
dune with spinifex grass
[Old Bar, NSW, July 2013]
Willie Wagtails are also fearless - this one is holding on to the
rump of a Laughing
Kookaburra (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Maules Creek, NSW]
Juvenile Pallid Cuckoo
under attack from a pair of Willie Wagtails
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2020]
Juvenile Pallid Cuckoo
being knocked off its perch by a Willie Wagtail
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2020]
Willie Wagtail harassing an
Australian Raven
[Yarrie Lake, NSW, October 2020]
Willie Wagtail literally scaring the sh** out of an
Australian Raven
[Yarrie Lake, NSW, October 2020]
The only time during the year when Willie Wagtails make themselves scarce, probably as families disperse prior to the start of the next breeding season, is in winter (June/July).
In September 2010 there were 4 different bird nests in our garden, within a radius of only 10 metres. Next to Willie Wagtails there were also pairs of Australian Magpies, Magpie-larks and Striped Honeyeaters. A potentially interesting detail observed by us is that the Willie Wagtails, which usually nest only 1-5 m above ground, on that occasion nested high in a treetop, at about 8 m (the same height as the nest of the Australian Magpies, higher than the other species.
Willie Wagtails not only protect their territory, nest and young against predators, they also fiercely defend their territory against other, intruding Willie Wagtails.
Willie Wagtail subduing an intruder, while the partner looks on
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2022]
Willie Wagtail subduing an intruder, while the partner looks on
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2022]
The fight between these two Willie Wagtails lasted about half an hour,
then the intruding couple gradually withdrew
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2022]
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Food, Diet |
| Adults: Small insects | Dependents: As adults | Water intake: In dry, hot weather |
Like all other members of the Rhipidura family known to us, Willie Wagtails are insect hunters.
Willie Wagtail that has caught a dragonfly (photo courtesy of
I. Duncan)
[South West Rocks, NSW, April 2011]
Willie Wagtail with its prey
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, GOld Coast, QLD, December 2013]
Willie Wagtail with its prey, a caterpillar?
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Gardens, Mackay, QLD, July 2021]
This young Willie Wagtail has caught itself a decent meal
[Bundjalung NP,
NSW, February 2012]
Willie Wagtail on the
lawn in our rural
garden,
making use of the local water supply
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, 2006]
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Call(s)/Song |
For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own;
comments and suggestions for improvement 
are welcome.
| willie_20170831.m4a |
leucophrys (NW NSW) |
Contact call | © MD | |
| willie_20180315.m4a |
leucophrys (NW NSW) |
Extended(?) contact call | © MD | |
| willie_20200615.m4a |
leucophrys (NW NSW) |
Warning calls + ? | © MD | |
| willie_20200302.m4a |
leucophrys (NW NSW) |
Warning calls (human) | © MD | |
| willie_20191021.m4a |
leucophrys (NW NSW) |
Annoyed/upset (Australian Magpie) | © MD | |
| willie_20191021_2.m4a |
leucophrys (NW NSW) |
Annoyed/upset (flashing light on recorder) | © MD | |
| willie_20200120.m4a |
leucophrys (NW NSW) |
Interacting with Singing Honeyeaters | © MD | |
| willie_20150813.mp3 |
leucophrys (NW NSW) |
Protecting nest | © MD | |
| willie_20220504.m4a |
leucophrys (NW NSW) |
Curious/suspicious | © MD | |
| willie_20190201.m4a |
leucophrys (NW NSW) |
Various | © MD | |
| willie_20181008.m4a |
leucophrys (NW NSW) |
Various | © MD | |
| willie_20211220.m4a |
leucophrys (NW NSW) |
Begging calls & being fed (3 juveniles) | © MD | |
| willie_20150130_2.mp3 |
leucophrys (NW NSW) |
Begging calls (juvenile) | © MD | |
| willie_pb_20200605_1.m4a |
picata (Darwin, NT) |
Territorial call | © PB | |
| willie_pb_20200605_2.m4a |
picata (Darwin, NT) |
Annoyed/upset | © PB |
More Willie Wagtail sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.