- Rhipidura leucophrys
Identification
19-21.5cm. Black head, throat, upper breast, wings, upperparts, and tail, white eyebrow, 'whiskers' and underparts. Black bill and legs, dark brown iris. Sexes similar.
Distribution
Australia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, the Bismarck Archipelago, and eastern Indonesia].
Taxonomy
Three subspecies are recognised:
- leucophrys - central and southern Australia
- picata - northern Australia
- melaleuca - New Guinea and islands in its vicinity.
It is unrelated to the true wagtails of the genus Motacilla.
Habitat
Semi-open woodland or grassland with scattered trees, often near wetlands or bodies of water.
Behaviour
The diet includes insects.
It builds a cup-like nest on a tree branch from grass stems, strips of bark, and other fibres, bound together with spider webs. 2-4 cream-white eggs with brownish markings are laid and incubated by the female for 14 days. The young fledge after a further 14 days.
