Which species 'wag' their tails? (1 Viewer)

[Albanian]

I have a question to ask all of you knowledgeable people.
Which birds 'wag' their tail?
Obviously the various species of wagtail all do but I need to know others. It's a question that is very hard to get an answer for using search engines.
If anyone could help, it would be massively appreciated.
Thank you.

 

[deborah4]

A lot of waders do when feeding eg. Green Sands and Common Sands. Some Warblers - eg. Moustached and Chiffchaff.

Probably lots! Sure others will add to the list but it might be helpful if you could clarify whether you're making a distinction between eg. a continous/regular ''flick'' or a ''wag''!

 

[Vectis Birder]

Do you mean just British or European birds or birds further afield. The Australian Willy Wagtail, Rhipidura leucophrys, a type of fantail, wags it's tail (hence the common name).

 

[ovenbird43]

Here in the states, the Spotted Sandpiper, both waterthrush species, and the American Pipit wag their tails. Phoebes also frequently flick their tails up and down, though it's different than the bobbing behavior of the others I just mentioned. I've always been intrigued by the behavior, and I've noticed that nearly all species that bob their tails constantly (that I'm aware of) are associated with open or aquatic habitats.

In South America, the Buff-rumped Warbler, also associated with rivers, wags its tail somewhat frequently.

 

[fugl]

Other US tail waggers/bobbers/flirters (mostly not particularly associated with open habitats or water) include Empid flycatchers (all species as far as I know), both species of redstarts, & Palm Warblers. Young Spotted Sandpipers are said to start "teetering" within 30 minutes of hatching.

 

[stevo]

European Redstart,slowly pump their tail.

Steve.

 

[borealowl47]

wagging tails

Also in N. America, Hermit Thrushes wag their tails.

Darrell

 

[Peewit]

Dippers, but it is more with their bodies than their tails.
Another form of continual repeated movement.

Maybe an obsure observation but Blackbirds express a lot with their tails too. They land with their tails in a Vertical postion. Their tails are also never still for any length of time.

 

[halftwo]

The Forktails, and White's thrush (I've recently discovered) do too.

 

[Jim M.]

You can also add Prairie Warbler and Kirtland's Warbler to the North American list. (Those and Palm are the only NA warblers that persistently engage in the behavior).

I would also distinguish true tail-waggers -- where the tail alone is moved completely independently from the rest of the body -- from those that merely rock their bodies, or the rear half of their bodies. I would put the mentioned sandpipers and the waterthrushes in the latter category.

I've always been intrigued by the behavior, and I've noticed that nearly all species that bob their tails constantly (that I'm aware of) are associated with open or aquatic habitats.

It does seem to be something of an evolutionary puzzle as to why such behavior would evolve. It seems to make the birds easier to see, and thus more vulnerable to predators. I have heard it suggested that it might help birds blend in better when vegetation such as reeds or leaves is swaying in the wind, but I do not find that very plausible.

Best,
Jim

 

[NoSpringChicken]

I was watching a Water Pipit last week and was surprised to see it bobbing its tail every so often.

Ron

 

[Albanian]

Wow, that's a great help. Thank you all! VectisBrider: birds from all over the world. I'm doing my dissertation on what is a quite simple question - there appears to be no definite answer as to why they would 'wag'. I need to look at why other species would do it as well, to see if there is a common theme. Thank you all for your time so far!

 

[Gretchen]

Depending on what you consider wagging.... One more, here in east Asia, I've been recently watching is the Daurian redstart. It makes a very minute and fast movement with its tail - the description in the field guide is "shivers" it's tail - which seems like a very good way to explain what it looks like (though I had never heard that use of "shiver" before!)

Gretchen

 

[Harold Stiver]

Wow, that's a great help. Thank you all! VectisBrider: birds from all over the world. I'm doing my dissertation on what is a quite simple question - there appears to be no definite answer as to why they would 'wag'. I need to look at why other species would do it as well, to see if there is a common theme. Thank you all for your time so far!

That's interesting, perhaps you'll post a summary of your conclusions here at a suitable time.

I'd looked into this topic at one time and none of the theories proposed seemed convincing to me.

 

[Gashead]

Bluethroat, red-flanked bluetail.

 

[Londonbirder]

Warblers wag their tail's the whole time.

 

[Albanian]

Harold Stiver: I would happily send you the work when it's finished (hand in is 23rd April), just drop me your email in a message. Same goes to anyone who is interested.
Cheers everyone, I'm eternally grateful for the amount of legwork you've saved me!

 

[Steve G]

A slow clock-pendulum "wagging" to & fro of the tail is typical of Motmots such as Turquoise-browed Motmot -as in here: http://www.pbase.com/rainbirder/image/102707527

 

[Himalaya]

Eurasian Magpie?

 

[John_WA]

Off the top of my head from SW Australia (there are probably a number of others),

Jacky Winter Microeca fascinans
Dusky Woodswallow Artamus cyanopterus
Willy Wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys
?Restless Flycatcher? Myiagra inquieta