Willie Wagtail

Description:

The Willie Wagtail is the largest and most well-known of the Australian fantails. It's a passerine bird that belongs to the family Rhipiduridae, of which there are three subspecies. The plumage is black above with a white belly, and it 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. They can be aggressive and territorial, and will often harass much larger birds such as kookaburras, crows, and eagles. They are fearless! I have always loved these birds, and the eyebrows do it for me - they look so sinister! Willie Wagtails are found in most open habitats, especially open forests and woodlands, and are often associated with water-courses and wetlands. PS: The "Birds in Backyards" reference contains audio of the willie wagtail. Sweet singing vs camera shutter, although I've always thought they sound like little machine guns!

Habitat:

Spotted on the shore of freshwater Lake Broadwater, which forms part of the Lake Broadwater Conservation Park.... https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/lake-... This is a very flat area in a region known as the Darling Downs. NB: Just a little over 12 months ago and this lake was completely dry due to the massive drought that Australia experienced. It's wonderful to see how the lake and bushland has recovered. Birdlife was abundant, and surrounding bushland vegetation was green and lush.

Notes:

This fellow accompanied me for quite some time as I walked around the lake, flying ahead of me some distance to find a perch, and waiting for me to walk by. A respectable distance was always maintained, hence the mediocre photos. Here's a spotting I made a few years back that has better photos. See what I mean about the sinister eyebrow?.... https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/16...