Motacilla flaviventris
Silhouette: Martin Bulla, based on Ren Hathway's illustration · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
The Madagascar wagtail (Motacilla flaviventris) is a species of wagtail in the family Motacillidae. It is endemic to Madagascar. The Madagascar wagtail is a large, elegant and slender wagtail which has grey upperparts, a white breast and a yellow belly. There is a black band across the breast and the long tail has a dark centre and white outer tail feathers. There is short white supercilium. Juveniles have a less conspicuous breast band and a fainter supercilium. The body length is 19 cm (7.5 in).
The Madagascar wagtail is endemic to Madagascar where it is found throughout the island. It is common and widespread and most common in the east of the island and on the central plateau; it is less numerous in the north and west, and rare in the south.
The Madagascar wagtail is typically found around water, such as rivers, lakes and seashores, also in open areas such a rice paddies and gardens. It is found from sea level up to 2,500 metres (8,200 ft) above sea level. The diet of the Madagascar wagtail mainly consists of small invertebrates, notably insects and spiders. It forages by walking or running on the ground... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ranomafana National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 2 | Mantadia National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antananarivo | 🇲🇬 Madagascar |
Likely
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Madagascar Wagtail sighting in Mantadia National Park on a given day, based on 295 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 8th most-seen of the 98 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.
May and August
In those months about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Madagascar Wagtail in Mantadia National Park on a given day, against about 50% in September and November–December, the lowest months. Those are among Mantadia National Park's driest months, with about 70 mm of rain a month against 340 mm in January. January to April have too few records to rate.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Madagascar Wagtail sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Madagascar Wagtail sightings, Mantadia National Park ranks 2nd at about 60%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Ranomafana National Park (Madagascar, about 60%).
Same order: Passeriformes
The closest relatives of the Madagascar Wagtail that you can see in Mantadia National Park (order Passeriformes, Perching Birds) are Madagascar Bulbul (about 90%), Souimanga Sunbird (about 80%) and Madagascar Paradise-Flycatcher (about 70%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Madagascar Wagtail is recorded against all the birds logged in Mantadia National Park (295 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.
