Photo: Duncan McCaskill / CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Willie Wagtail
Rhipidura leucophrys
Willie Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 11 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Willie Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys) is a member of the Rhipiduridae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 27.4 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Rhipiduridae Fantails
- Genus Rhipidura
- Species leucophrys
Where it lives
Moluccas, New Guinea area, Australia (except Tasmania), Bismarck Arch. and Solomon Is.
Quick facts
- Weight
- 27.4 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Rhipiduridae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Critically Endangered
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Willie Wagtail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Willie Wagtail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Willie Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys) belongs to the Rhipiduridae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Moluccas, New Guinea area, Australia (except Tasmania), Bismarck Arch. and Solomon Is.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 27.4 g, with a wing length of about 9.9 cm and a tail of around 10.2 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 8.4 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Willie Wagtail?
The Willie Wagtail is a small bird that weighs around 27.4 g.
Where does the Willie Wagtail live?
The Willie Wagtail is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Moluccas, New Guinea area, Australia (except Tasmania), Bismarck Arch. and Solomon Is, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Willie Wagtail belong to?
The Willie Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys) belongs to the Rhipiduridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Willie Wagtail eat?
The Willie Wagtail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Willie Wagtail migrate?
The Willie Wagtail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Willie Wagtail endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Willie Wagtail make?
1 real field recording of the Willie Wagtail — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Willie Wagtail's range?
The Willie Wagtail has a mapped global range of about 8.4 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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