Field Guide

African Pied Wagtail

Motacilla aguimp

Aves › Passeriformes › Motacillidae › Motacilla

This wagtail is a striking black and white bird. It is mainly insectivorous, but also feeds on other invertebrates, grass seeds, tadpoles, small fish, and scraps of human food.

How To Identify

This medium-small wagtail is characterized by a striking monochrome pattern of stark black and brilliant white plumage across its body. The name 'pied' refers to this high-contrast coloration, which is accented by a long, conspicuously wagged tail.

Habitat

It typically inhabits open and semi-open areas near water sources including riverbanks, lakeshores, wetlands, and cultivated fields across sub-Saharan Africa.

Behaviour

The African Pied Wagtail is highly gregarious and often forms large flocks, particularly at dusk when hundreds may gather to roost together in reed beds or on wires, creating spectacular aerial displays before settling for the night.

Native Range

The African pied wagtail is found in sub-Saharan Africa, ranging from the Eastern Cape north to extreme southern Egypt, and from Guinea to western Eritrea and Somalia.

Did You Know?

The specific name aguimp means shore runner, as the Namaquois call it a-guimp, a name made up of two syllables each preceded by a click of the tongue.

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