- Motacilla maderaspatensis
Photo by Alok Tewari
Foraging in a mountain stream
Tributary of river Savitri, Mahabaleshwar, Western Ghats, Satara, Maharashtra, India, 30 December 2024
Identification
21–24 cm (8-9½ in)
Male
- Black glossy upperparts, head and breast
- White supercilium
- Large white wingbar
- White underparts
Female: less glossy than the male
Juvenile: brownish-grey where the adult is black
Photo by Alok Tewari
Sat Tal lake, Alt. 5000 ft., Dist. Nainital, Uttarakhand Himalayas, India, October-2015
Distribution
India (except Thar Desert and North-East), northern Pakistan, lowlands of Bhutan and Nepal and Bangladesh.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
The scientific name is also spelled madaraspatensis.
Habitat
Open freshwater wetland habitats, especially with rocks and stones; it has adapted well to urban areas.
Behaviour
Breeding
They build a cup-shaped nest in a hole in a wall or bank. The clutch consists of 3-5 eggs.
Diet
The diet includes insects, especially grasshoppers and dragonflies.
Vocalisation
Recording by Alok Tewari
Pong Dam Lake Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary, India, Jan-2011
Bird foraging and calling, 7.30 am.
Recording by Alok Tewari
Mahabaleshwar, Western Ghats, Satara, Maharashtra, India, 29 December 2024 ... 7.26 am
A pair was foraging; one member, who had lost its tail, was foraging and singing, giving short musical calls/ tcik- tcik scratchy calls of Blyth's Reed Warbler are heard in the background.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2014. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.9., with updates to August 2014. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved July 2015)
- Wikipedia
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) White-browed Wagtail. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 26 April 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/White-browed_Wagtail
External Links
Search the Gallery using the scientific name:
Search the Gallery using Motacilla madaraspatensis:
Search the Gallery using the common name:
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