Willie Wagtail

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

The willie wagtail is a passerine bird native to Australia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, the Bismarck Archipelago, and Eastern Indonesia. It is a common and familiar bird throughout much of its range, living in most habitats apart from thick forest. Measuring 19–21.5 cm in length, the willie wagtail is contrastingly coloured with almost entirely black upperparts and white underparts; the male and female have similar plumage.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

1. 01

   Solid black head to upper breast

   Forms a prominent black bib from the crown down to the chest, sharply contrasting with pure white underparts.

2. 02

   Pure white lower breast and belly

   Unmarked white underparts extending uniformly from the black upper breast, creating a striking two-tone appearance.

3. 03

   Bold white eyebrow

   A sharp, prominent stripe extending from the bill to well behind the eye, contrasting strongly with the black head.

4. 04

   Long, broadly-fanned black tail

   Noticeably long relative to the body, often fanned broadly, revealing a paddle-like shape.