Rhipidura leucophrys
Silhouette: Michael Scroggie · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
The willie wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys) (also spelt willy 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 (7+1⁄2–8+1⁄2 in) in length, the willie wagtail is contrastingly coloured with almost entirely black upperparts and white underparts; the male and female have similar plumage.
It is unrelated to the true wagtails of the genus Motacilla; it is a member of the fantail genus Rhipidura and is a part of a "core corvine" group that includes true crows and ravens, drongos and birds of paradise. Within this group, fantails are placed either in the family Dicruridae, alongside drongos, or in their own small family, Rhipiduridae.
The willie wagtail is insectivorous and spends much time chasing prey in open habitat. Its common name is derived from its habit of wagging its tail horizontally when foraging on the ground. Aggressive and territorial, the willie wagtail will often harass much larger birds such as the laughing kookaburra and wedge-tailed eagle. It has responded well to human alteration of the landscape and is a common sight in urban lawns, parks, and gardens. It is widely featured in Aboriginal folklore around Australia and New Guinea in a variety of roles, from stealer of secrets and liar to a good omen for successful crops. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Raja Ampat | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 3 | Hattah-Kulkyne National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Flinders Ranges National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Flinders Chase | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Nitmiluk National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Noosa National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 10 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 11 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 12 | Litchfield National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 13 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 14 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 15 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 16 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 17 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 18 | Cape Range | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 19 | Rottnest Island | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 20 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 21 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 22 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alice Springs Desert Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Likely
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Willie Wagtail sighting in Hattah-Kulkyne National Park on a given day, based on 953 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 7th most-seen of the 170 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April, September and December–February
In those months about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Willie Wagtail in Hattah-Kulkyne National Park on a given day, against about 40% in May and July, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Willie Wagtail sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 22
Of the 22 parks where we can rate Willie Wagtail sightings, Hattah-Kulkyne National Park ranks 3rd at about 60%. The best odds are in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (Australia, about 80%) and Raja Ampat (Indonesia, about 80%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Willie Wagtail is recorded against all the birds logged in Hattah-Kulkyne National Park (953 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
