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Attractive ground-dwelling bird.
Not listed
Indigenous: Yellow Wagtail
At a glance
FamilyWagtails and Pipits
SizeSmall
RarityUncommon
HabitatCoastlines, harbours, offshore waters, estuaries, headlands, beaches, and large inland water when conditions suit.
Best timeMost reliable in Queensland from November to January.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Lim Ying Hien 林勇贤
Range map
Range map
142visible hotspots
2609visible records
6states
SparseModerateDense hotspot
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Slender and long-tailed, bright yellow below with paler throat and grayish-olive back; extremely variable. Tail is black with white outer feathers; often pumps tail up and down while walking on the ground. Young birds lack yellow color, but have distinctive head pattern. Often seen near water. Common breeder on Arctic tundra from Alaska to Russia; found in grassy and waterside habitats in Southeast Asian wintering grounds and in migration.
Behavior
Listen for high-pitched, piercing call note.
Gallery