Motacilla capensis
Silhouette: Martin Bulla, based on Ren Hathway's illustration · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
The Cape wagtail (Motacilla capensis), also known as Wells's wagtail, is a small insectivorous bird which is widespread in southern Africa. It frequents water's edge, lawns and gardens. It is a mostly resident, territorial species, but has been known to undertake limited altitudinal migration or form flocks outside of the breeding season. Like other wagtails they are passerine birds of the family Motacillidae, which also includes the pipits and longclaws.
In 1760, French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the Cape wagtail in his Ornithologie based on a specimen collected from the Cape of Good Hope. He used the French name La bergeronette du Cap de Bonne Espérance and the Latin Motacilla Capitis Bonae Spei. Although Brisson coined Latin names, these do not conform to the binomial system and are not recognised by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. When in 1766 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for the twelfth edition, he added 240 species that had been previously described by Brisson. One of these was the Cape wagtail. Linnaeus included a brief description, coined the binomial name Motacilla... Wikipedia →
Very likely
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Cape Wagtail sighting in West Coast National Park on a given day, based on 1,170 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 5th most-seen of the 192 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March, June, October and December
In those months about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Cape Wagtail in West Coast National Park on a given day, against about 60% in May, the lowest month.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Cape Wagtail sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 25 parks where we can rate Cape Wagtail sightings, West Coast National Park has the highest daily chance: about 70%. Next come De Hoop Nature Reserve (South Africa, about 60%) and Addo Elephant National Park (South Africa, about 60%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Motacillidae
The closest relatives of the Cape Wagtail that you can see in West Coast National Park (family Motacillidae, Wagtails and Pipits) are Orange-throated Longclaw (about 20%) and Grassveld Pipit (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Cape Wagtail is recorded against all the birds logged in West Coast National Park (1,170 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.
